


Destined

by meganhana08



Category: GOT7
Genre: A lot of Kpop artist, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Multi, based on a book
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-06-28 19:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15713991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meganhana08/pseuds/meganhana08
Summary: Through out Mark's life a storm has foretold changes in his life and the heaviest one has brought Prince Jinyoung to him and with it comes the biggest change in his entire life."Every good or bad moment of his life had been foretold by a storm, and Mark had no choice but to accept it."This is based on the book 'Violet Eyes' a retelling of the Princess and the Pea.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I'm back with another Markjin story and it's based on this book that I read when I was younger and I found the book again and I thought it would be cool to transform this story. Majority of what I wrote does come from the book but at the same time there are many things that I have taken out, changed, added and even rearranged to fit this to Markjin and Got7. So I hope you all enjoy this story.

A storm was coming. The air seemed heavy and the wind had begun blowing from the west with a purpose and brought with it the smell of distant rain. Mark stood in the middle of his father’s wheat field; closing his eyes, and threw out his arms as if to hug the incoming storm. Every good or bad moment of his life had been foretold by a storm, and Mark had no choice but to accept it. 

It had stormed the night before his brother, Yugyeom was born, and the night before his grandfather died. It had stormed the day before Mark had kissed a boy for the first time and realize he preferred men instead of women. It had stormed just before the beginning of the a year long drought that had nearly ruined his family’s farm and a storm had come to save them from starvation. 

He opened his eyes, and could see the rain approaching. Mark played with his gold necklace with a blue stone set in the middle, as he watched as it hit the tops of the trees in the forest and came on with a steady sweep. "Mark come inside before the storm gets here,” his father, Yunho, said as he was coming out from the barn, where he had just put away the horse and the wagon after returning from the village.

Yunho walked over and stood next to Mark and worriedly looked out at the rain sweeping in. “My goodness, I hope that storm doesn’t damage the crops,” he said. 

Mark smiled at his father, he was always so practical. “But isn’t there something beautiful about it, Father?” 

Yunho sighed, “Yes I suppose so, just as long as it doesn’t destroy anything.” He said turning back to the house, clearly expecting Mark to follow as well. 

Mark stayed for another moment and cast one last look at the storm. “But it always does,” he muttered under his breath before turning and heading after Yunho. From inside the house the smell of dinner filled the air. Mark’s mother, Jia, was already ladling the food and bits of vegetables out into bowls on the table. Once she was finished she put down the pot and coughed hard into her apron. 

“Storm’s coming,” Yunho said. “If there’s anything you need from outside, Jia, one of us’ll fetch it. We wouldn’t want you to catch cold.” 

“I’ll be fine, but you should probably go and call Yugyeom, he’s been gathering wood for us all day.” Jia answered pointing outside. Mark eyes widened as he forgot all about his little brother. Once he saw the storm clouds he was couldn’t help but stare at them. He immediately ran back outside and to get his tall little brother. 

He just couldn’t understand what happened, one minute the child was up to his waist next thing he knows he’s a few inches taller than him. Perhaps he’s found a witch and requested her help in getting taller but that’s impossible since witches moved out of the country years ago.

Mark found him behind the barn with a pile of wood in his hands, “Yugyeomie come inside, a storm is coming and dinner is ready.” Mark announced

“Coming!” Yugyeom he replied back and back to the house with Mark and the wood in his hands and placed it by the fireplace. Yugyeom quickly washed his hands before sitting down next to his mother while Mark sat across from him.

As they began to eat, Mark noticed how quiet his father was. Normally Yunho was cheerful and talked a lot during supper. Usually, on the days he went to the village, he was bursting with news, but this time he sat silently. It became obvious that there was something on his mind. As he ate, he would occasionally glance outside and that grew more frequent once the rain began to fall. 

“What’s wrong, dear?” Jia asked at last. 

Yunho looked up and gave his wife a small weak smile. “I’m just hoping the crops will be okay.” 

Jia looked puzzled, she understood as to why but they would be alright if not all crops made it okay in the storm. “Why is this storm more troubling than other times?” she asked.

He sighed and put down his fork. “A servant sent word from the castle that they’re going to need twice as much wheat and vegetables for this year’s Festival than last year.” 

Mark stared at his father, wide-eyed, as his mother and brother gasped. “Twice as many?! Are they planning to feed the whole kingdom?” Yugyeom asked

The Festival was a month away. It was an annual event which celebrate the victory of the people of Caledonia over the King of Ixania in their last great war. The Festival would last for four days, the height of which was the High Feast on the third day, when no one in Caledonia did any work. For the common people, High Feast Day was a day of enjoyment. Everyone would sample strange foreign foods, dance, and make music while engaging in contests of skill, creativity and strength.

However on the fourth day it would be a period of mourning as the neighboring kingdom as the entire royal family was slaughtered by the King of Ixania. The neighboring kingdom was currently being governed by the King of Caledonia as the two kingdoms were allies and practically family. The people of the other kingdom had agreed to governed by Caledonia. Many thought that the King’s of Caledonia would unite the two kingdoms however the King’s decided against this without giving a reason. 

“More like they’ll be feeding royalty from other kingdoms,” Yunho answered. “They say it’ll be a very special celebration this year. They say the Prince will marry during the Festival.” 

Mark sat up straighter, eager to hear. Any wedding was special, but a royal wedding! There had not been one in his lifetime. “Who is he going to marry?” he asked. 

Yunho shook his head. “It seems it’s something of a mystery, but it has been said that royal carriages have been arriving at the castle for the last couple of weeks.” 

“But they don’t know who the bride or groom will be?” Jia asked 

Yunho shook his head, “No one really knows.”

“I talked to one of the kitchen boys who works in the castle and he told me that the reason nobody knows who the prince will marry is because the prince doesn’t know himself.” Yugyeom added

“How can the prince not know?” Mark asked, bewildered. 

“The kitchen boy said that many prince and princesses, had been arriving from all over and that there was some sort of contest to be held.” Yugyeom replied

“A contest? That seems a bit outrageous. Why don’t they let the prince choose who he wants to marry?” Mark asked

“The ladies back at the village have been saying that the prince is currently looking for his own partner but his parents are doing this just in case” Jia answered 

“Well let’s just hope that he finds the person he love and that the crops survive the storm” Yunho sighed and Jia nodded.

“So this kitchen boy; is he the same boy you’ve been talking to for a couple of weeks now?” Jia smirked and Yugyeom blushed.

“You’ve been talking to this guy for weeks Gyeomie and you didn’t tell me?” Mark gasped “And I thought we were brothers!” He said in mock offense.

“It’s not that big a deal” Yugyeom blushed

“You wouldn’t be embarrassed if it wasn’t a big deal Yugyeom” Yunho chuckled, “So what’s his name?”

“BamBam, he’s really nice to me” Yugyeom smiled, playing his food.

“I’m not nice to you?” Mark giggled

“Brother stop it, we’re just friends” Yugyeom laughed pushing Mark.

“Oh sure you say that now” Jia smiled making Yunho laughed and Yugyeom face turning more red. The family continued to finish their dinner and after finishing their dinner and they cleaned up the dishes and they headed to bed. Mark and Yugyeom went upstairs to their separate room. 

Mark curled up on his bed to listen to the storm outside. The wind was howling fiercely, as if looking for a way inside the house. He pulled his blanket up under his chin and listened to the sound of the rain as it hit the roof. Mark thoughts went back to the conversation at dinner, he couldn’t help but wonder about the prince and the person he was to marry. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaebum could see the storm clouds gathering and debated what to do. “Your Highness” he began, “We are less than a day’s journey from home, however it would seemed best to stop for the night and wait out the storm. Your parents would have my head if they learned I let you ride in that storm” He said

Prince Jinyoung smiled, “Sure why not, we’ve been gone nearly a year; another day more won’t really matter to me. And I thought we talked about titles, it’s just the two of us, who will hear us.” 

Jaebum rolled his eyes, “Someone seems excited to get home”

“Oh please, my parents are absolutely pissed that I haven’t found a partner yet and now they’re having some stupid contest for me to find them.” Jinyoung scoffed

“Well it’s your fault, we’ve met many lords, ladies, prince and princess and yet none of them met your standards” Jaebum sighed, “I wouldn’t be surprised if your parents invite them to this contest again."

“Oh Lord, I hope not.” Jinyoung grimaced and Jaebum snorted, “Oh come on Jaebum, even you hated some of the people we’ve met” Jinyoung frowned and Jaebum nodded agreement, “and the others were either boring or they just couldn’t careless. I don’t want that, I want to marry someone I can look forward to see everyday, someone who can talk to me like we’re close. I want to find love.” He huffed

Jaebum sighed at his friend, he wishes that Jinyoung could find true love at his own pace however his parents had a different idea of how the prince could find his true love. Which was why at the age of 17 they sent the young prince and Jaebum out to find that person but now at the age of 18, that mission was easier said then done since Jinyoung was being very difficult. 

Both of his father’s didn’t actually believe their son would find a partner which is why halfway through the year they had Jinyoung invite each of the person he visited to come his home in the weeks before the annual Festival, where his parents would meet them and judge their worth. The entire thing was appalling to him. Jinyoung had felt overwhelmed with embarrassment at the next castle, since receiving that letter from his parent’s, wondering how he could tell the king and queen that their child would be evaluated by his parents before they could be eligible to marry him. 

What Jinyoung had realized had upset and embarrassed him even more. He couldn’t believe that some of the people he met practically fell over themselves at the opportunity to prove their worth to his parents. Even their parents had also seemed to approve of the whole process. Jinyoung didn’t know if the excitement had been created by a deep sense of respect and loyalty for his parents or because of the fact that the lives of these people were so structured and confining that they found the challenge appealing.

“How many people do you think we have invited, Jaebum?” Jinyoung asked the guard.

Jaebum thought for a moment, “Oh I would have to say at least fifty.”

Jinyoung shook his head, “Goodness, I wonder how many of them are already waiting for us at the castle.” He muttered hoping that it’s at least half that amount. 

The first drops of rain began to fall, much sooner than the two had anticipated and after a moment’s hesitation Jaebum led Jinyoung from the road and into a field. He could see smoke rising in the distance and thought that crossing the field would be the fastest way to the village. The two lightly kicked their horses sides with their heels, and the horses moved forward into a gallop. They had been galloping for no more than a minute when the skies opened up and the rain began to hit them. The cold of the rain seeped into their bones, and they found himself shivering and urging their horses to go faster. 

The horses plunged down into a small ravine, splashed across a swiftly rising river, and then charged up the other side. They had just made it back to level land when something went wrong. Jinyoung felt his horse sliding sideways as his horse slipped in the mud. The horse staggered, trying to get back his footing, but then it suddenly stopped without warning and Jinyoung flew over his horse’s head and landed on the ground. His head hit the ground hard, and he felt a stabbing pain before everything went black.

Jaebum watched in horror as his friend flew over his horse and hitting the ground. He quickly jumped off his horse and ran over to Jinyoung limp body. Worried that Jinyoung would be seriously injured, Jaebum lifted him up and draped him on his back and took the reigns of both horses, leading them to a farmhouse he spotted a moment ago. He could only pray that the people would be nice enough to allow him and the Prince to stay until Jinyoung had recovered.


	2. Chapter 2

Mark awoken to a crash of thunder, the storm was still going. He tried to go back to sleep but it’s as if the storm refused to let him do so. Without any choice he laid awake, letting his mind drift. His mind immediately went to the royal wedding that will eventually happen and soon it changed to his own dreams of being wedded. 

At the age of 18, Mark was old enough to be married. In fact many of his friends within the village were already married, and some were engaged with weddings soon coming up. His parents were against the tradition of choosing a bride or groom for him and decided to let him chose for himself as his parents chose each other. 

Growing up he watched how in love his parents were and wished for himself to find that same kind of love. So many times Mark had walked around the village and had been hit on by others and he couldn’t help but wonder if they were the one to show that kind of love. But it never seemed so.

It wasn’t that Mark wanted to marry and he wasn’t afraid either, it’s just he was getting worried that he would never marry for love and would have to settle for being married for either his dowry (which wasn’t a lot) or for the children he would give birth to.

Mark realized that thinking so negatively would bring him down so he shaked those thought from his mind and tried to sleep again. However it seemed impossible with the sudden banging; at first he was unsure if someone was actually banging on door or if it was just the rain pelting the roof of the house. After listening to it a couple of times he realized someone was actually knocking at the door. He grabbed a lantern and slippers and walked down the stairs, Yunho and Jia came out their bedroom with a candle in their hands.

“Who could that be at this time?” Jia asked, “And in this weather?”

Yunho walked and opened the front door, revealing a handsome man in noble clothing with a man laying on the horses back, “Please help me! My friend he fell off his horse and hurt himself!” Jaebum begged, pleading to the family.

Yunho immediately sprang into action, “Mark quickly fix up your room and tell Gyeomie to do the same for our guests then come back down to take the horses to the barn.” He ordered as he took Jinyoung, with help from Jaebum, off the horses back.

Mark ran upstairs and first went to Yugyeom room waking him up, “Hyung what’s going on?” He said sleepily while rubbing his eyes.

“A nobleman showed up at our door with his friend injured, the two will be staying in our rooms till he gets better.” Mark quickly explained, “Father said to fix our rooms for them.”

Yugyeom groggily did as Mark said moving things around to make his room look presentable. Once Yugyeom was done he went to Mark’s room, “What next, hyung?” He asked

“You can help me put away their horses in the barn” Mark suggested as he finished fixing his bed sheets. Just before he could go down the stairs, they saw Yunho and Jaebum carry the unconscious man up with Jia behind them with supplies to help aid them. 

They downstairs and once they opened the door they saw two horses still standing in the rain that was slowly lightening up. The brothers pulled their reigns to get them inside the barn. Thankfully the horses weren’t too wild and were actually obedient enough to allow Mark and Yugyeom remove the saddle. Yugyeom gave the two horses treats before walking out with Mark following.

“So what do you think those two noblemen are doing riding out in the storm like that?” Yugyeom asked

“Maybe they were going to castle and got caught in the storm” Mark guessed and they headed back to the house. One of the mystery nobleman was sitting at the family dinner eating soup and the two brother bowed to him.

“Hello, as I already said to your parents, I am sorry to awaken you and your family up at this time of night” the man said, “My name is Lord Im Jaebum and I, thank you for helping us” he said

“It’s quite alright, we are happy to help you Lord Jaebum” Mark bowed along with Yugyeom. 

“May we ask why you were out in the storm?” Yugyeom asked 

Jaebum sighed, “We were on our way to the castle and we thought we would at least make it to the village but the storm began sooner than we anticipated so we went faster but my friends horse stopped suddenly because it got stuck in the mud and he flew off his horse and got hurt. I hope he will be okay.”

“Your friend will be just fine” Yunho said coming back downstairs, “He has cut on his head but it doesn’t look too serious and he should awaken soon.” Jaebum released a breathe of relief from the good news, “Mark go upstairs and help your mother and for you, Lord Jaebum, I have some clothes for you to borrow so we can dry your own clothing.” Yunho said.

Mark walked upstairs to his room and saw the man was lying on his bed. He was dressed in a clean shirt and pair of pants that he realized belong to his father. The man’s wet, filthy clothes lay in a pile in the corner. Jia had started washing the wound on the man’s head, and he groaned quietly but didn’t wake up. 

She glanced up and, seeing Mark, motioned him over. “Here, wash away the blood and dirt as best you can. I’ll see what I can do with his clothes. Once he’s clean, bundle him up so he doesn’t catch a chill.” Jia said to him before leaving the room with the man’s clothes. 

Mark seated himself on his bed next to the stranger and took the damp cloth from the washbasin and wringing it out. He applied the cloth to the man’s forehead wiping the mud and marveled as he got a closer look at him. The man had a strong face with a broad brow and chiseled jaw. He memorized the lines of his face as he washed it. It took a while to remove the blood and dirt from his hair, but eventually he finished. When Mark was relieved to see that the cut, while long, was not deep to look to serious. 

Mark then bundle him up, wrapping the man in several thick warm blankets and, tucking them in around his body. As he finished, the man began to mutter, he leaned close but he couldn’t make out any of the words he was mumbling.

“How’s he doing?” Jaebum asked startling Mark and he mumbled an apology.

“He seems to be doing okay,” Mark said turning back to look unconscious man.

“Thank you for taking care of him” Jaebum smiled happy to see Jinyoung being taking care of.

“It’s no problem, I’m happy to help. But can I ask for his name? It would be bad if I were to speak to him without even knowing his name” Mark asked realizing he doesn’t know the name of the man in his bed.

“His name is Park Jinyoung” Jaebum replied

Mark eyes widened, “Park Jinyoung as Prince Jinyoung of the Caledonia royal family?” he gasped.

Jaebum nodded, “Yes, well good night.” And he left to go to Yugyeom room as if he didn’t release the biggest bombshell on Mark’s head. He must be tired.

Mark could only stare at the Prince as his mother came back in the room, “Did you clean him?” She asked

“Y-Yes. Mother did you know-?” Mark began

“Yes Lord Jaebum told us downstairs and never in my life have I ever seen your father and brother so shocked in their life.” Jia breathed

“Out of all the things I expected to come out of this storm, I would’ve never have guessed that a prince would show up” Mark muttered

“What was that Mark?” Jia asked him and Mark shook his head, “Alright then, go downstairs to the guest room to sleep with Yugyeom.

“No Mother it’s fine, besides you and Father will have to wake up soon. I’ll stay here and watch over the prince.” Mark replied, Jia asked him multiple times to see if it was okay but Mark assured her is was. Jia kissed her son head before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Mark attention went back to the stranger but as the hour was waning he slowly drifted off into sleep. 

As the rooster crowed with the morning sun shining in sky leaving no trace of the storm that previously occurred, Jinyoung began to stir. After a minute his eyelids fluttered open and Jinyoung groaned as he began to wake up to find that his head was pounding fiercely. Mark quickly sat up hearing another person groaning and rubbed his face removing any trace of sleep. He looked at the prince as he began to fully awake up.

Jinyoung blinked a couple of times as he was dimly aware of being indoors and of lying on something that was only much softer than the ground he had landed on. He blinked again rapidly, trying to focus his vision. When everything grew clear, he saw the anxious face of a boy sitting by him. 

He was very beautiful and Jinyoung couldn’t take his eyes off of him. His skin was lightly tanned and his light brown hair seemed to look lighter as the sun touched it. Most amazing, though, was his smile because it completely genuine, and it lit up his face. He thought he heard the other boy whisper something along the lines of ‘Is it you?’ But he could wrong.

As Jinyoung stared back at the boy, and his eyes seemed to widen, “Who are you?” he asked, Jinyoung seemed more interested in that than in knowing where he was. 

“My name is Mark,” he answered simply, “Do you know who you are?” He asked

The question took him somewhat by surprise. “Prince Jinyoung, of course,” he said.

Mark laughed and Jinyoung smiled because of how it was a completely contrast to his deep voice, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I only ask this so I can be sure you retain majority of your memories.”

“Oh thank you for checking. Um, might I ask where I am and how I found myself in this room and where my friend is?” He asked as he started sitting up.

Mark nodded, “Your friend that you are asking about is Lord Jaebum?” He wondered and Jinyoung said yes, “He is here and currently sleeping in my brother room at the moment. He brought you here, in my family farmhouse, last night during the storm and told us you were thrown off your horse and hit your head. You have been unconscious since then and my family and I have been taking care of you.” He explained 

“Oh my goodness, thank you for taking care of us.” Jinyoung smiled showing his eye whiskers that made him much more younger than he appeared.

At that moment, Yunho came into the room with a bowl of soup in his hands, “Oh good morning, Your Highness” he bowed, “I am Yunho and I’m sure my son has introduced himself as well” he bowed and Jinyoung nodded, “ Did you slept well?” He asked 

“Yes I have and I want to thank you for welcoming us in your home” Jinyoung replied, nodding slightly to the older man. 

“It is no problem at all, Your Highness. I have sent to town for Mr. Jinwoon, he’s the village doctor and he should be here soon.” Yunho said to the prince

“You didn’t have to go through all that trouble” Jinyoung protested not wanting to seem like a burden.

“It’s truly no trouble at all Your Highness, but it’s best to have you and Lord Jaebum checked out to make sure everything is alright. You two were probably in the rain for a while.” Yunho assumed and Jinyoung realized it was probably best to check out. “My wife has made some soup, I hope you enjoy.” he bowed handing him the bowl.

The broth was hot and it felt heavenly sliding down Jinyoung throat. Although it wasn’t appetizing to look it, it tasted delicious, “This is a wonderful, send my compliments to your wife.” Jinyoung smiled

Yunho smiled, “Thank you Your Highness, I will. If you would please excuse me I have work to get started on. If you need anything you can ask my son for it.” he bowed before leaving the room.

Once Jinyoung finished eating, Mark took the bowl from him, “Would you like some more?” He asked

“No thank you, maybe later” Jinyoung replied

“Would you like me to get you anything?” Mark questioned unsure of what else to do.

Jinyoung thought for a moment, “Well I have been away from home for a long time. Could you please tell me any news?” He asked 

Mark clasped his hands together in his lap unsure of what to tell him, “What would you like to hear?” he asked. 

“Everything,” Jinyoung replied 

“Hmm well, the biggest news has been about your wedding.” 

“My what?” he asked, maybe he heard him wrong. 

“Your wedding. They say you will marry during the Festival.” Mark replied

Jinyoung groaned slightly, did his parents already chose his partner without him? “Do they say to whom?” 

“No, that seems to be the biggest mystery,” Mark answered, and then paused, hoping that the prince would enlighten him. He didn’t believe that the prince actually didn’t know who he was suppose to marry.

“At least they haven’t chosen anyone yet,” Jinyoung sighed. 

“They, Your Highness?” Mark questioned confused 

“My fathers.” Jinyoung simply answered

“So it’s true? You really don’t know you are suppose to marry?” Mark gasped and Jinyoung nodded. “But haven’t you been searching the world to find yourself a partner?” she asked inquisitively. 

Mark's boldness surprised him, no one would have dared to question him like this especially a mere farm boy. Jinyoung smiled slightly at that, it was quite refreshing being spoken to like that. 

“I have but the nobility I have met aren’t the ones I can imagine spending the rest of my life with.” Jinyoung sighed, “However, it is my parents’ choice as to whom I shall marry. I have been delivering my parents’ invitation to many kings and queen, inviting their children to my home. There my parents plan to test them, because they want to make sure my partner is someone worthy of being my partner and the next future ruler at my side, along with some other things I parent’s probably want as well.” 

“So, the rumors are true. There is a competition.” Mark marveled

“Yes, I guess you could call it that. I call it abominable.” Jinyoung grimaced

“You are a prince, though. Shouldn’t the choice of picking a partner be yours?” Mark wondered

Jinyoung laughed harshly at that. “My dear, it is because I am a prince that I can make fewer choices than you will have when the time comes. Normally princes and princesses marriage isn’t about love or companionship or even family. It is about kingdoms and treaties and wars and alliances. The only thing I can be grateful for is that they will be looking for my best interest in heart. ” 

“But Caledonia is a powerful country. We don’t need an alliance with another country.” Mark frowned

“Of course we do, other countries know how powerful we are. Some fear us, some admire us, but they’re all eager to be our friends. I heard that the King of Ixania will be sending his son here.” Jinyoung sighed

Mark gasped, “Why would your parents even consider an alliance with Ixania? They attacked our country in the last war, and we defeated them.” 

Jinyoung scoffed, “Yes, but that defeat was more than seventeen years ago. They have been rebuilding, and their army is getting larger and better equipped than ever.” 

“But Ixania are horrible people” Mark protested. 

“Yes my parents know that quite well. The neighboring kingdom that parent’s currently rule was once ruled by the royal family of Cordinia. They were my parents best friends and allies and they were assassinated by the King of Ixania.” Jinyoung sighed. This was news to Mark. His parents had mentioned that the King of Ixania did something horrible but he never imagine it was murder. “The entire royal family of Cordinia was murdered within an hour and the outrage against the massacre was what helped us win the war.” Jinyoung gave a sad smile, even though he wasn’t born, the stories his parents told about the royal family made him feel like he was close to them.

Mark frowned, “I hope you do not marry the Prince of Ixania, it would be a disgrace to us and those who had died.”

Jinyoung sighed, “It would ensure peace. If I marry someone else, there is the real possibility that we shall be at war with Ixania again in our lifetime. Of course, that’s true of at least half a dozen other kingdoms as well.” He groaned, “You know I think, rather than allowing me to choose a partner and risk angering some kingdom, my parents devised this ridiculous challenge to make the other kingdoms happy and believe it was all chosen fairly.” 

Mark shook his head. “Well, I wish you happiness with your future partner, whomever they may be.” 

“Thank you,” Jinyoung replied. His head had begun to pound, he laid back and closed his eyes falling asleep within moments. Mark kept a watchful eye on Jinyoung as he slept, Lord Jaebum came in the room moments later.

“Oh morning, have you been with him all this time?” Jaebum asked surprised to see Mark still with the prince.

Mark nodded, “Good morning and yes I have Lord Jaebum. He woke up not too long ago and ate some soup but fell back asleep.” He responded

“Oh at least he ate something before he went back to sleep.” Jaebum said looking at the young prince.

“May I ask you something?” Mark questioned and Jaebum nodded. “Is he truly unable to chose a partner for himself?” Jaebum frowned, wondering why would he be asking that, “It’s just that we were talking earlier about it and it just seems so odd that a prince is unable to chose someone for himself.”

Jaebum sighed, “Even though he has a higher status, he lives in a world where royalty have rigorous rules. The only reason his father’s are pushing for this wedding is because the longer the prince takes to chose a partner the more trouble it will bring for Caledonia. Everyone wants to be our ally and the best way is through marriage and since he’s at the age to be married all the other kingdoms are pairing up their child with him. However he is lucky that his father’s are much kinder and loving compared to other Kingdoms which is why this contest is even happening.” He explained

“Seems kinda unfair” Mark muttered but Jaebum heard him yet said nothing. He stared at Mark as he wondered something before he left the room. Mark didn’t notice Jaebum stares as he couldn’t help but pity the young prince. To have so much power and yet be so powerless must be a terrible life. It baffled him, and he prayed that his parents might choose a partner whom he could love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. Plz comment


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. Jinwoon arrived just before dinner, and when Yunho escorted him upstairs, the doctor’s eyes widened upon seeing the figure of the prince. “Yunho didn’t tell me the patient was Prince Jinyoung!” he exclaimed. 

“It was best this way, the last thing we need is the whole village come here to see the prince at this state.” Yunho explained. Mark had gone to outside to take care of the horses while Yugyeom helped his mother prepare dinner. 

As Mr. Jinwoon examine Jinyoung, the prince was groggy when he awoke and seemed less clear-headed than earlier. His eyes were bright, and his cheeks were stained red. “The wound looks good; you did a fine job of taking care of to it,” Mr. Jinwoon told Yunho. “He seems to be getting the onset of a fever, though.” 

“I was afraid of that.” Yunho sighed. “He and Lord Jaebum, his guard, was out in that storm last night,” he said. 

“The best thing to do is make sure he has plenty of liquids and to keep him warm. I’ll go check on Lord Jaebum and then I’ll be back to check on the two in the morning.” Mr. Jinwoon said. He then went to check to Yugyeom room and checked on Jaebum. 

“How is Prince Jinyoung?” Jaebum asked the doctor

“The wound will heal however he seems to getting the first stage of a fever” Mr. Jinwoon told him and Jaebum eyes widened, “I already told the Yunho what to do so hopefully he will be fine.  
Now as for you, my Lord, you seem to be doing okay but try not to strain yourself. I was told you were also in that storm so you could get ill as well.” He advised

“I will try, thank you Doctor” Jaebum said 

~~~~~~~~~~

That night Jinyoung got worse. They did their best to keep him warm, and once again Mark chose to stay the night with the prince will everyone either attended to Jaebum or slept. Mark bathed his face every half hour with a cool towel. The fever was high and he was muttering in a haze, clearly not even sure where he was. Mark dozed off, sitting in the chair next to the bed. In the morning, when Mr. Jinwoon returned, he took one look at Jinyoung, and the look of worry on his face sent a bolt of fear through Mark.

Since there was nothing that Mark could do, so he left Jinyoung in Mr. Jinwoon hands. He went out to check on the fields and then the horses, leaving the heavy work to Yugyeom. Not that he minded, he understood that his older brother was much to exhausted to do the work since he was up at night tending to the prince.

Hours later, Jia called for him, “Mark, your father is calling for you.” Mark ran back to the house and up to his bedroom where he saw Jaebum sitting next to the prince and his father.

“Will he be okay?” Mark asked his father.

“Mr. Jinwoon said that as long as his fever breaks soon, the prince should be alright. He told us to watch him just in case his temperature drops too low so we can bring it up. Since you want to watch him at night, you have to make sure of this.” Yunho said to him and Mark nodded, “You look exhausted go rest in the guest room till dinner” he suggested to his son and Mark happily agreed to that.

Just like his father said, he was awoken at dinner and before eating he washed himself then headed to eat; once he finished he cleaned up and went upstairs to check on the prince. Mark found Jaebum sitting by his side finishing his dinner, “Lord Jaebum I will take over.” He said

Jaebum gave a small smile, “Yes, he’s in good hands with you” he said before leaving. Mark gave a confused look to the lord before turning his attention back to the prince.

When night came, Mark slept on a makeshift mattress on the floor. During the beginning of the night he could hear Jinyoung cough from time to time, but for the most part he managed to sleep and so did Mark. 

However later during the night, Mark woke up again and soon so did the Prince as he was looking at him, “Why am I so cold?” he asked him. 

“Mr. Jinwoon said that this might happen after your fever passed. You will be all right. See, you have lots of thick, warm blankets around you.” Mark said as he tucked Prince Jinyoung under the warm blankets.

“So cold,” Prince Jinyoung shivered, closing his eyes. 

A minute passed, and even with the amount of blankets he had, Prince Jinyoung started shaking even harder. Mark laid a hand on his forehead, and it was like touching ice. He rubbed his hands hard together until they were hot and then placed them on his face, willing the warmth from his skin into his. He murmured slightly. 

Mark then remembered that when he was a child and he had been sick and very cold, his parents had put him in their bed, laying him between them with the blankets over them all. Mark remembered how the heat from their bodies had warmed him when the fire and the blankets had not. He stared down at Jinyoung. He had promised his father that he would keep Jinyoung warm. 

Mark lifted the blankets and lay down on him bed. He tucked the blankets around them both and then wrapped his body around him. He shivered and then turned toward him. He lay still, trying to quiet the pounding of his heart. Mark had never been so close to a man like this. He could feel his breath on his cheek. After a while he could feel warmth returning to his skin, and Mark began to relax and eventually fall asleep. 

The rooster crowed at dawn and it awoke Mark, he inhaled sharply at how close the Prince was from him and the same time he was amazed at his handsomeness. Whoever would be his partner would be luckiest person ever. Mark turned his head at the sound of someone opening the door and he gasped when he saw Lord Jaebum smirking at him.

Realizing the position he was in he immediately jumped off the bed, “Um good morning Lord Jaebum” he blushed

“Morning” Lord Jaebum smiled to smile

“Um uh, how was your night?” Mark asked

“It was okay but I’m sure not as nice as Prince Jinyoung’s” Lord Jaebum smile while wiggling his eyebrows.

Mark eyes widened and he gasped at Lord Jaebum assumptions, “Ah no no no, P-Prince Jinyoung was cold and-and shivering during the night so I-I only tried to warm him up.”

“Oh?”

“No no no” Mark denied, shaking his head repeatedly

Lord Jaebum laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m only teasing. I know exactly what you meant. Once again thank you for caring my friend.”

Mark took a deep breath, “It was my pleasure” he turned at looked at the sleeping prince. Lord Jaebum stared at him before smiling and leaving Mark alone again with Jinyoung. Mark pressed his hand on Prince Jinyoung cheek and was happy to feel that his skin no longer felt cold to the touch.

He left the room and head downstairs where his father and mother was and he could only assume his brother was outside, “Good morning”

“Good morning” his parents greeted, “How’s the Prince doing?” Jia asked

“He stopped shivering a little while ago. He seems to be warm again, and he’s sleeping.” Mark replied.

“Oh that’s good” Mr. Jinwoon said as he entered in the house with Yugyeom. “I’ll go check on the two of them just to make sure everything is okay” he said 

“Can you also bring these bowls to them as well?” Jia asked as she give the bowls to the Mr. Jinwoon. He nodded as he took the bowls and he walked up the stairs.

As Mark was finishing his breakfast with his family, Mr. Jinwoon came downstairs with the bowls in his hands and Lord Jaebum and Prince Jinyoung leaning on his shoulders. Lord Jaebum placed Prince Jinyoung in one of the chairs and sat next to him. 

“Is everything alright?” Yunho asked

“Yes Prince Jinyoung should be ready to travel again in a day or two, however I worry for Lord Jaebum” Mr. Jinwoon sighed

Everyone looked concernedly at Jaebum while he looked uncaring, “What wrong with Jaebum?” Prince Jinyoung asked

“Well I worry that if he continues to stress his body out he might break into a fever that would probably be even worse than His Highness.” Mr. Jinwoon announced

“All I’ve been doing is helping around the farm. It’s the least I could for them till we reach the castle.” Lord Jaebum said.

“Jaebum if the doctor says to rest then you have to rest. I don’t want you to be too sick.” Prince Jinyoung pouted

“Lord Jaebum, I know you’re a strong man but no one if invincible from illness. Please take care of your body, my lord.” Mr. Jinwoon pleaded before leaving.

“You heard the man, Jaebum” Jinyoung said, “Take care of your body”

Lord Jaebum rolled his eyes, “My goodness you nag more than my mother”

“And your mother would want you to take care of yourself” Jinyoung argued

“Fine” Lord Jaebum huffed, letting Prince Jinyoung win this round of the argument.

Mark and his family silently laughed at the scene between the Prince and the lord, “So I’m guessing you are feeling much better, Your Highness?” Mark asked

“Yes. In fact I could use a bit of fresh air. Would you care to accompany me outside?” Jinyoung asked as he slowly stood up on his wobbly legs.

“Of course, Your Highness.” Mark smiled. Jinyoung’s legs were a little stiff, but Jinyoung suspected they would be fine once he was able to stretch them a bit. Outside the house he lifted his face to the warmth of the sun and breathed in deeply of the fresh air. It seemed as though he could actually feel his strength returning to him.

He turned toward the barn, wanting to see for himself that his horse was all right. Mark walked beside him with a sure step. Jinyoung glanced at Mark, admiring the way that he carried himself. There was no self-conscious preening on his part, only the strong, steady stride of someone who had spent his life working outdoors instead of confined to a room doing stitchery or studying politics. It was refreshing, and so different from anything he had ever known as to be novel.

Jinyoung’s horse greeted Jinyoung enthusiastically, and Jinyoung stroked his nose, relieved to see his companion uninjured. “That was a nasty spill we took, girl. I’m just glad you seem to be in better shape than me.” To Mark he said, “Thank you for looking after her.” 

“It was no problem,” he answered, “Besides the one you should thank is Yugyeomie. He’s is the one who’s been taking care of the horse’s. But from what he’s been saying She’s a good horse, and she’ll stand still for anything if there is the promise of an apple.” Mark laughed appreciatively. 

“Hear that, Peaches? He understands you better than most.” Mark flushed at that, and the pink in his tan cheeks made his look all the lovelier. 

“Wait Peaches?” Mark giggled, realizing the name he gave the horse.

Jinyoung sighed, “Yes Peaches, don’t you think she’s cute like a peach?”

Mark laughed, “I suppose so.”

“What it’s not good?” Jinyoung asked

Mark put his hand out and shaked his head, “No no no, it’s the perfect name” he smiled and Jinyoung smiled back. Mark spent the rest of the day showing Jinyoung around the farm. He had to stop and rest often, but each time he would get up with a dogged determination. 

That night Jinyoung and Mark slept soundly, however Jaebum wasn’t as lucky as he coughed multiple times that night. With the new dawn Jinyoung was up as early as he was, eager to walk more as he and Jaebum planned to leave the next morning. They walked slowly out to where he had had his accident and then rested themselves in the shade of a tree growing by the stream.

“Tell me about your travels,” Mark urged, curious to hear of the world beyond his own. 

“There was one castle that was perched high on the top of a mountain. It took four days to climb up to it, and when we arrived, it was like a snowy wonderland. There were flowers that were blooming despite the snow around, and the blossoms were of purple and blue and yellow.” Jinyoung smiled thinking of the memory.

“And was there a princess or prince there?” Mark asked. 

Jinyoung laughed, “It was princess. She was a very delicate person, no taller than this,” he said, standing and indicating a line just below his chest. “And extremely pale, she practically blended in the snow. I actually lost her a couple of times.” he said, laughing. 

Mark laughed too, at the thought of it. “No way!” he exclaimed, trying to picture the girl in his head.

“Wait, there was a prince, in a castle deep in a valley surrounded by rivers. He was so thin, it was as though you could see through him,” he said, eyes sparkling with laughter. 

“What happened?” Mark asked excitedly, sensing there was more to the story. 

“We went for a walk in the gardens, and while we were talking, a rose petal fell and bruised his foot so terribly that the poor thing couldn’t walk for days.”

“A rose petal?” Mark asked, bewildered. “Are you lying to me?” 

“No, I wish I was. Poor guy. I don’t know how he’ll ever survive the carriage ride here.” Mark started laughing. “And what has amused you so?” Jinyoung asked. 

“How would a man like that ever manage to bear you children? He would probably faint at the very thought. If you so much as kissed him, you would probably knock loose all his teeth.” Mark continued laughing so hard that he began to cry. 

A strange look passed over Jinyoung face, and he couldn’t tell if he was going to rebuke him or begin laughing as well. “I can assure you I am not so rough and crude a kisser,” he said at last. 

“I did not mean to imply you were,” Mark said, trying to wipe the tears from his face. “I only meant that the prince is so frail it’s a wonder that his own clothes don’t crush him with their weight; an embrace might crack his bones. And if he was ever kissed by a farm girl, the force would probably kill him.” 

So, farm girls are forceful kissers,” the prince said, amusingly. 

“Yup. They wouldn’t know any other way.” Mark sighed thinking back of his first and last kiss with a girl.

“And what of farm boys?” Jinyoung smirked

“They wouldn’t know any other way, either,” Mark said, smiling and blushing all at once. 

Jinyoung moved like lightning, his left arm wrapping around Mark's waist and his right hand cupping the back of his head. His face moved in toward his, and Mark cried out in alarm. He was afraid, for he could feel the power of him, the roughness. But at the last instant, when Jinyoung lips met his, it was whisper soft. Not hard and fierce as he had imagined. 

Though his lips were barely touching his, Mark could feel the strength of him wrapped around him. He swept him backward, supporting his body with his arm and his head with his hand, and still his kiss was gentle like a spring breeze and playful as a kitten. It overwhelmed Mark. He succumbed to it completely, letting himself go limp in his arms. Jinyoung lips were soft, teasing, with a promise of something more to come. 

And then, slowly, he lifted him up, set him back upon his feet, and pulled away. “What was that for?” Mark asked, his voice and body shaking from the onslaught. 

“That is so that you shall know the difference,” Jinyoung said, his breathing ragged. 

“But what good does that do me?” Mark burst out, bewildered. “I’m as likely to teach a pig to dance as teach a boy from the village to kiss like that.” 

“Then take it as a token, a thank-you for all that you have done for me.” Jinyoung frowned, feeling slightly offended of Mark’s behavior

“I would have done it for a starving beggar, let alone the man whose family owns the land my family works,” Mark said crossing his arms.

Something dark and unreadable shadowed Jinyoung face. “I’m sorry. I’m sure the other night you would have been happier tending to a beggar.” 

With that, Mark slapped him, hard and fast across the face. He gasped, realizing what he had done. Prince Jinyoung gazed at him fiercely, and Mark’s heart thudded, as he expected him to denounce him for his crime.

The slap stung his cheek, he realized that he deserved it. Something about him brought out the devil in him. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew that before he left him and the farm the following morning there was something he needed to hear from him. “That first day, when I woke up, before I asked you your name, you asked, ‘Is it you?’ What did you mean by that?” 

Mark blushed fiercely and turned his face away from him, looking to the grass at their feet. “Nothing,” he answered shortly, he didn’t think Prince Jinyoung actually heard him. “You must have been still delirious.” 

“No, I didn’t yet have the fever, and I remember clearly my conversation with you and your father. I heard what you asked. What did it mean?” Jinyoung pressed. 

Mark turned and started walking toward the house. “I’m hungry. We should go eat lunch.” 

Jinyoung caught Mark by the arm and spun him around to face him, his curiosity raging out of control. “Had we met before? Is that why you asked?” 

“Yes, that was it,” Mark stammered, though he refused to meet his eyes. 

“You are lying to me,” he said, surprised that he would be so daring and even more surprised that it mattered to him. Jinyoung took a deep breath and then, using the very voice he used to command lesser nobles to do his bidding, he ordered, “Tell me what you truly meant.” The wind picked up around them and blew Mark’s hair back from his face so that it stood out nearly straight. Jinyoung felt the wind’s cold fingers plucking at him, but he stood rooted to the ground, waiting for Mark’s answer. 

Finally, he looked up at him, and his great brown eyes met his. “It’s just a game I’ve played for a couple of years now. Whenever my eyes meet those of a man my age, I wonder if he’s going to be the one I’ll marry. It was just habit. I wondered the same about you, before I remembered who you were. I never meant to say anything out loud.” He blushed.

Jinyoung heart began to pound, hard and unsteady. He leaned closer to stare more deeply into his eyes. His mouth had gone dry. All this time he had been searching the world over for his partner, and this boy had been searching this village for his groom. It seemed impossible that they should have met, but they had. Was it destiny? When he spoke, it was no more than a whisper. “Is it me?” Jinyoung asked. Their faces were only inches apart, and the question shimmered in the air between them. He forgot to breathe, waiting for what he might say. 

But Mark just stared up at him with eyes that could consume a man’s soul. His lips parted, and he seemed like he was about to speak when a sudden shout caused them both to jump. A sudden shout caused them both to jump. Mark stepped away from him. Yunho stood waving his hat in the doorway of the house. Jinyoung thought he saw a tear trickle down his cheek, but he realized it was a raindrop when one hit his brow. “Mr. Jinwoon must be here,” Mark said, his voice strained. 

Then he ran toward the house. He followed, watching the sway of his brown hair. What was he about to say? Somehow Jinyoung had the feeling that he would never know. Suddenly Mark stopped. He could tell he was staring off in the distance toward the castle. He followed the line of his vision and saw the storm clouds rapidly spreading from that direction. Another drop of rain fell, heavier than the first, followed by another and then another. 

The storm came, sudden and unexpected. Mark and Jinyoung barely made it inside before the lightning started. Mark stood at the window, shivering as he stared out into the darkening afternoon. The doctor was tending to Jaebum, and apparently he seemed worse than the day before. 

Jinyoung came and stood beside Mark, who was staring out at the rain. “Is it me? Do you care for me?” he asked, his voice low enough that only he could hear. 

Mark was shocked at the question, they only met two days ago it was impossible for them to start caring for each other. However in his heart, he knew the truth. He had cared for the prince. He doesn’t how or when but during the days they spent togethers the prince had wormed his way into his heart. But it would end in heart break, Would it matter?” Mark asked. Jinyoung hesitated, as if looking for the right words. Mark plunged in, fear and bitterness tugging at his hushed voice. “No, it wouldn’t,” he answered for him. “It’s not about you or me; it’s about kingdoms and wars and alliances. You said so yourself.” 

Jinyoung had no answer, for he turned away retreating, probably to Jaebum room. Mark continued to stare out the window. When Mark went to bed that night with Yugyeom, he couldn’t sleep for many hours. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly that he couldn’t make sense of it. He thought of the conversation with Jinyoung, about the prince and princesses he had met, and he felt a sharp pang as he wondered which would be his partner. He thought about the kiss, and his lips burned with the memory of it. There was so much to take in. And then there was the storm, so soon on the heels of the first. Mark drifted off to sleep, pain curling around his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter, plz comment down below.  
> Thank you ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that kiss really so sudden lol?  
> Thank you for the comments ^^

According to Yunho, Lord Jaebum had a fever. Even though he was warned, in the end he still got it. Their plans of leaving for the castle was halted. Jinyoung could’ve chosen to leave and head back to the castle and probably getting a carriage to take Jaebum back, but he decided to stay with his friend. 

Thankfully the fever Jaebum had wasn’t too bad but he still needed to rest. As for Jinyoung and Mark, the two avoided each other like the plague only giving each other glances when they know the other was not looking. Mark’s family had a inkling but they didn’t know the true reason they they suddenly stopped talking to each other. 

Only Lord Jaebum knew the actual reason; from the beginning he saw the looks and glances the two were giving each other. It was easy to recognize that it was love at first sight for he himself had given his heart to his beloved even if the circumstances were against them were similar to Jinyoung and Mark. Jaebum was happy for his friend since that was what he was looking for all along. He knew it was a matter of time before the feelings leaked out. 

In his fever hazed mind he ordered the prince to fix their problems and for Jaebum he did. Once they were alone the Prince mumbled an apology to Mark and Mark did the same but that was it. After that they still didn’t talk to each other at least not like before.

After two days of being bedridden, Jaebum fever subsided and he was able to leave the confines of Yugyeom’s bed. He went outside and stretched his legs and after a check up from Mr. Jinwoon their plans to leave was back on track so the next morning they would be gone. 

That night Jaebum and Jinyoung sat together on Yugyeom bed. “So you seriously never made up?” Jaebum asked

“I apologized like you asked” Jinyoung scoffed

“I said to fix your problems, not apologize” Jaebum frowned

“What does it matter, he’s a farm boy, not a lord or a prince. As kind as my father’s are, they will not accept Mark as a candidate for my partner.” Jinyoung sighed

“So you admit that you want him?” Jaebum asked raising an eyebrow

Jinyoung sighed once more and nodded, “Yes I do.” He look up at his friend, “Jaebum this is the first time I’ve ever felt so so much for one person. I think he’s the one.” Jaebum internally cheered at his friend’s confession, “But it’s impossible for us to be together.”

Jaebum grabbed Jinyoung’s shoulders, “Jinyoungie, you always do what everyone expects you to do and you always go above and beyond but I think for once you should do what you want. Tell Mark how you feel and win him back.”

“But what about the kingdom?” Jinyoung argued

“Oh would you rather you marry one of those royals or would you like it if Mark marries someone else?” Jaebum questioned

Just thinking about Mark marrying or even kissing another man, upset him greatly, “Alright I’ll do it but if we go to war, you’re going on the front lines.” Jinyoung said, Jaebum snorted but nodded and Jinyoung got up to find Mark.

As he searched around he heard the rain lightly tap the windows before it came in full force and thunder boomed through the house. He found him in the guest room alone looking out the window, “Mark can I talk to you?”

Mark turned to him and raised an eyebrow, it was odd that Jinyoung would talk to him so suddenly especially since after they apologized he didn’t let Mark say a word as he left. “What’s there to talk about? We’re from two different worlds.”

“Mark please listen.” Jinyoung pleaded, Mark sighed and decided to do as the prince ask, “I was wrong to kiss you saying it was a thank you. The reason why I kissed you was because I care for just as you care for me.”

Mark gasped and blushed, “S-So what if I do?” He stuttered 

“It means that we would be together. You see, I believe that we were meant for each other and we were meant to find each other.” Jinyoung began, “I have traveled the world and no other person has ever interested me the way you have. We both have looking for our partners and yet no has caught our eyes and yet from the moment I’ve met you I haven’t been able to look away.”

Mark ears and cheeks turned red and his heart thumped loudly through his chest. What he said could be true, the storm bought Jinyoung to him, the storm had Jinyoung confess his feelings. He then turned to the windows; what will this storm bring? “Even if we both cared for each other, what will happen to your kingdom?”

Jinyoung was silence before he opened his mouth to speak, “I don’t know but what I do know is, is that I can’t let you go and for you I will fight for us.” Mark gasped as he could see in Jinyoung eyes was a fierce determination. “I want to take you with me back to the castle and together we’ll show my father’s that we were truly made to be together.”

Mark mouth opened and closed like a fish. He had no idea what to say.

“Jaebum and I are leaving in the morning and I really do want you to come so I’ll give you until then to think about it. If you come then obvious that means that you’ll give us a chance, but if you don’t then I’ll leave you be but I really hope come with me.” Jinyoung smiled sadly and with that he walked away leaving Mark with a lot to think about.

~~~~~~~~~~~

During the night the storm had subsided yet Mark was still left awake. He had no idea what to do. Once morning came, Mark still didn’t come to a decision he stayed in the guest room as Jinyoung and Jaebum started to pack their horse. They would be leaving within the hour.

At that moment, Jia, Yunho and Yugyeom came into the room, “Mark, Prince Jinyoung and Lord Jaebum will be leaving soon.” Jia announced as she moved to sit next to him on the bed.

Mark sighed, “Yes I know”

“Aren’t you going with him?” Yugyeom asked

Mark gasped, “How did you know about that?”

Yugyeom blushed as he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m sorry but I overheard you two talking.”

Mark shrugged, “I couldn’t go anyways. I mean who am I fooling? I’m just farm-boy, there’s no way his parents will let us be together.” His family was silent and as he looked up he saw them share glances at each other, “What?”

“Mark” Jia began, “There’s something we have to tell you.”

“What Mother?” Mark asked as he got worried over the seriousness that was within her voice,

“That’s just it.” Jia smiled sadly, “I’m not your mother.”

Mark stared at Jia in disbelief. “Why would you say such a thing?” he asked, wondering if an illness had affected Jia mind. 

“Because it’s the truth, and it is long past time that you knew it.” Yunho sighed and came to stand beside Mark. He put his hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at him. “She is speaking the truth.” 

“Are you my real father? Is Yugyeom my real brother?” Mark asked shocked. 

Yugyeom pouted, “No hyung but that doesn’t mean I don’t think of you as my real brother.”

“I’m not your real father either but I couldn’t love you any more if I were.” Yunho smiled sadly

“Then who are my parents?” Mark said he felt tears sting his eyes

“We can’t tell you that,” Yunho said. 

Mark stared at his family in disbelief, “You tell me that I’m not your actual child but you won’t tell me who my real parents are?” 

“We’re sorry Mark but for your safety we have to keep it from you.” Jia said

“So what can you tell me?” Mark wondered

“That you are a prince.” Jia smiled

Mark shot up, “A prince? How? Why? When?”

Yunho touched Mark’s shoulder and pushed him back down to sit on the bed, “Seventeen years ago we along with a few other kingdoms were at war with Ixania.” Yunho began. “And for many months it wasn’t certain that we could win. The turning point of the war came during one of the fiercest storms anyone could remember.” 

A storm. Of course. For one wild moment he wondered if maybe it wasn’t his fortunes alone that were tied to the tempests, but other places as well. “Assassins entered your family castle in the middle of the night under the cover of the storm and murdered the royal family as they slept.” Yunho continued said. 

Mark gasped as he remembered he heard this story before, “Wait a minute could the royal family that you are talking about is the family of Cordinia?”

The three looked at him in shock for they made sure never to mention the story in front of him, “Who told you brother?” Yugyeom asked

“Prince Jinyoung a couple of days ago but I never knew that it was about me” Mark said shakily, “H-How did I make it out alive? How did I get to you?”

“Sometime before dawn, before anyone knew what had happened at the Cordinia, we were woken by someone pounding on the door,” Jia said. “A woman was standing outside in the storm and she had a baby with her, a little boy less than a month old.” 

Mark began to shake. “The woman said her name was Suzy and that she was your nurse, and she begged us to take you in, to keep you safe, and to never tell anyone where you had come from. She then told us who you were and that men might come looking for you, to kill you. You were so tiny, so helpless. We agreed to take care of you and her, but Suzy refused to stay and was gone soon after. She promised to return when it was safe, if she could. We never saw her again, though.” Jia frowned.

“And did men come looking for me?” Mark asked

“Yes. They were soldiers of Ixania. They claimed that they were looking for a kidnapped child. They tried to pretend they were from Cordinia, but we knew they were not. The men arrived not even an hour after the woman had left.” Yunho replied

 

“We told them that you were our child, and they believed us and left. The next day we heard word about the tragedy at the castle, that all the royal family had been killed: the king, the queen, two princesses, and a baby boy three weeks of age. But there were rumors, however, that the boy’s body wasn’t found.”

Mark gasped. “A baby boy! That was me?”

“Yes because just before Suzy left she gave us a letter and your necklace. I suppose it in case we tell you the truth.” Yunho answered, “The letter and necklace are proof of your birthright.” 

Mark pulled out the gold necklace and stared at it, “Is this really true?” he gasped, turning to look at his mother. Jia nodded and then reached out her arms and folded Mark into an embrace. “Why are you telling me all this now?” 

“We should have told you years ago, but we were selfish, afraid we’d lose you,” Jia said sadly. 

Mark began to cry. “That could never have happened.” 

“When the war was over, we were afraid that someone will learn of your existence and try to kill you again.” A chill danced up Mark’s spine. Had he escaped death and never known it? “But now you must go to the castle,” Yunho said.

Mark shook his head. “I don’t want to be a prince. I just want to be your son. The king’s have done just fine all these years ruling both kingdoms. There’s nothing I could do for them, nothing I could offer.” 

“It’s not them that we’re thinking of,” Yunho said quietly and Mark looked at him confused.

“Prince Jinyoung loves you,” Yugyeom said for the first time in a while. 

Mark blushed. “He barely knows me.” 

"He knows enough. It’s possible to fall in love all in a moment. Your father and I did,” Jia said, smiling gently at her husband. 

“And you love him,” Yunho smiled. 

Mark lowered her eyes. “Even if I did care for him, he must marry a princess or a prince.” 

“Hyung you big dummy have you forgotten what we just discussed earlier! You are a prince.” Yugyeom scolded 

“I’m a prince” he whispered slowly. Those words have yet to process in his brain.

Yugyeom looked deep into his eyes, “Yes now, go get your prince.” 

“But I—” 

Yugyeom shushed him. “Hyung, you and Prince Jinyoung love each other and I think you two are destined to be together. All you have to do is trust your heart and follow it, so I want you to fight for your happiness hyung.”

Mark smiled at his brother, “Thank you Gyeomie.” He said as he hugged him before running out the room and soon the house. He ran over to barn where he saw Jinyoung and Jaebum fixing their saddles. Jinyoung turned his head and smiled.

Mark ran over to him and hugged him, “I didn’t think you would come.” Jinyoung breathed

“How can I fight destiny?” Mark giggled as he pulled away and stared into Jinyoung.

“Okay as happy as I am to see you. We have to go back to the castle.” Jaebum smiled as he climbed on top of his horse. The two nodded and Prince Jinyoung placed a kiss on Mark forehead and he climbed up on top of Peaches. As he was about to pull up Mark, Jaebum spoke, “Uh I think it would be better if Mark rode with me. Rumors will start to spread if he is seen with you.” He replied before Jinyoung could ask. 

Mark shrugged and walked over to Jaebum and his horse. Just before he could get on Yunho, Jia and Yugyeom came out of the house, “Wait!” Jia yelled, “Don’t you think you should say good-bye to us first?” She smiled. Mark hugged his family and whispered good-bye. Jia then handed him a hood and a letter, “If you should meet the King’s, give them this letter and your necklace and then I’m sure they’ll let you in but please remember to never tell anyone the name of your kingdom.” She warned.

Mark nodded and waved and with help from Jaebum he climbed onto the horse and the three rode off in the direction of the castle.

As they began their journey, all Jinyoung think about was Mark. Some way and somehow he will get his parent’s approval of him. Maybe if Mark joins the contest and wins then that his parent’s will see that Mark is just as noble as the others. The only problem is, is that he has no idea what his father’s will test everyone on and he’s unsure if Mark get the challenges.

He looked up at Mark’s back. he was amazing, strong yet graceful, intelligent and compassionate. He was everything he would want in a partner and yet nothing that his parents would accept. It will be a challenge to get his parent’s to accept yet he was determined to face it However he couldn’t help but whisper “Mark, why couldn’t you have been a prince?”

 

Mark felt a thrill of excitement exiting the village. Once he reached the castle, she would be farther from home than he could ever remember traveling. Though, if what his parents had said was true, he had been far from home all along.

A fierce wind began to blow as if seeking to force them to turn back. Fear began to overtake him. Maybe he was making a mistake; maybe he should return home. His parents needed him. What about Jinyoung? a voice in his head whispered. Maybe he doesn’t care for me like I think he does. What if it was all a mistake, and once he reaches the castle and see all the beautiful prince and princess he’ll reject me? 

Maybe his father’s have already chosen a partner for him, and I’ll have to watch him marry someone else. Who am I, after all, but just a farm boy who helped him? He may have been grateful, but perhaps gratitude was all that he felt. He thought about the kiss they had shared. Could he have kissed him like that if he felt nothing for him? The wind stung his cheeks mirroring the pain he felt in his heart. What is he doing?

As they drew close to the castle, a cry went up from the watchtower as the guards recognized Jinyoung and Jaebum. The sound used to thrill him, but this time Jinyoung squared his shoulders with a heavy sigh. He was home. He touched his heels to Peaches, and they cantered into the courtyard. No sooner had he reined the horse to a stop and dismounted, the prince and princesses seemed to pour out of every doorway, calling and waving to him. 

Amidst the noise and confusion one of his father’s suddenly appeared, a smile on his face, and wrapped his arm around him. “Welcome home, son.” His father King Nickhun greeted. “As you can see so many candidates are here in hopes to marry you.”

Jinyoung looked around. He saw the boy whose foot had been bruised by the rose petal. He looked like he was going to faint from the overexertion of the moment. One of the other girls jostled him, and he cried out in anguish. Prince Jinyoung shook his head. All of the princes and princesses vied for his attention except for one. He recognized him from the mountaintop castle. He was so small in stature as to be remarkable, and he stood back from the group, a look of vague interest on his face, but nothing more. 

Jinyoung sighed. At least he had some dignity. “Can we speak in private?” he asked his father. The king nodded. “Your father wants to see you first.” 

“I’ve missed you both,” Jinyoung admitted. He took a deep breath. “And the five of us need to talk.” His father raised an eyebrow. Jinyoung motioned behind him to Jaebum and Mark. They walked through the castle and entered in his father’s office.

The four of them were seated in his parents’ office, except for Jaebum who stood because he was a knight. When greetings exchanged and servants dismissed, Jinyoung took a deep breath. “I found the man I want to marry.”

Mark eyes widened, he didn’t expect Jinyoung to immediately come out with it. Since he’ve entered in the castle he was amazed by the beauty of it and when the prince and princesses rushed out to vie for his attention he wondered what exactly he saw him. But when he heard Jinyoung sigh and look distressed, he felt a little bit of hope.

His parents both looked surprised. “Is this he?” His other father, King Wooyoung asked and Jinyoung nodded, “Who is he?”

“His name is Mark. His father works a farm half a day’s ride from here, and he saved my life.” Jinyoung said

Mark sputtered at Jinyoung introduction of him, “Um well my family and I saved his life.” He corrected.

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow at Mark correction and even Jaebum gave him a side look, “I believe you better start in the beginning.” King Nickhun said. Jinyoung took a deep breath and drew himself up to his full height before beginning to tell them about the last few days. When he reached the conclusion, he stood, trying not to betray his agitation over what their response would be. 

His father’s were silent before King Wooyoung cleared his throat to speak, “Mark we are grateful for what you have done for our son and Lord Jaebum but we can not allow you to marry our son.” Mark heart clenched.

Both Lord Jaebum and Prince Jinyoung stood up. In his heart Jinyoung had known that was how his father would respond, but he couldn’t control the anger that rose in him. “He is a stronger and nobler man than any of those candidates that are in this castle,” he said. 

“That might be, but you know that you have to marry a prince or princess. We need a strong alliance with another kingdom,” King Nickhun said. “We also need to solidify our position here,” his father said.

“Then Your Majesty let Mark enter in the competition and let him show you how amazing he is” Jaebum asked

“I’m sorry and I’m sorry for you Mark for coming out this long way.” King Wooyoung apologize. “But it must be a prince or a princess.”

“Which is exactly why I will compete for your son’s hand in marriage” Mark said standing up.

“As I said before you must be a prince, in order to compete” King Wooyoung sighed, furrowing his brow.

“And a prince stands before you, Your Majesty” Mark smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter  
> Plz comment down below


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted on Twitter if I should post this chapter and after so wonderful encouragement I decided to do it lol. Thank you hmm0422 for your beautiful message ^^

All four nobles stared at Mark in shock, after what seemed like an eternity of silence was finally broken by King Wooyoung, “I thought my son had said that you were a farm-boy?” He asked looking at Jinyoung.

“That’s what I thought because he was living in a farm with his family” Jinyoung said in disbelief.

“That’s what I thought too until my family told me a secret that they’ve been hiding for a long time.” Mark said sadly

“Please explain yourself.” King Nickhun said

“All my life I had believed that I was a simple farm-boy and that my parents and brother was actually my family but a few hours ago they told them that I wasn’t their actual son. They had adopted me from a woman who was trying to save me.” Mark said

“Who is this woman?” King Wooyoung asked

“My parent’s said that her name was Suzy.” Mark revealed and Jinyoung noticed that his parents shared a look between each other.

“What royal family are you from?” Jaebum asked

Mark shaked his head, “I’m sorry but I promised my family that I would not say the name at least not until they are sure it’s safe.”

“Do you have any proof of this?” King Nickhun asked

Mark nodded and he first removed his necklace and letter and handed them to the King’s. King Wooyoung opened the letter and the two King’s read it’s contents and gasped. They look to Mark for an explanation, “I have had that necklace for as long as I can remember but my parents made me swear never to reveal it anyone. As for the letter, my mother gave it to me saying it was proof of my birthright and that once I get here I have to give it you.” He explained

“If what you say is true and if these things actual belong to you then you may compete in the competition but you have to understand that we have an obligation to investigate this matter.” King Wooyoung stated as he gave back Mark’s necklace but he held onto the letter.

Mark smiled as he placed the jewelry around his neck and hid in underneath his shirt, “Of course and thank you, Your Majesty.” He bowed

The Kings stood up, leaving the three boys in the office, Mark grinned as he turned and face a still shocked Jaebum and Jinyoung, “You’re really a prince?!” Jaebum yelled

“How come you didn’t tell me?” Jinyoung frowned.

Before either one of them could say more Mark silenced them, “Haven’t you two been listening? I just found out this morning.”

They actually haven’t been listening, their minds were still stuck on the fact that Mark was actually a prince. Jinyoung grabbed Mark’s hands, “I’m sorry love, but it just that-”

“Yes we would’ve spared each other the heartache, but even if we found out before we still have another obstacle to jump over.” Mark said

“The competition.” Jaebum sighed, “And also the competitors, I didn’t expect so many prince and princesses to actually arrive.”

“Yes and sadly I’m not knowledgable in anything of that had to do with being a prince so I believe I’m at a great disadvantage.” Mark frowned

Just before Jinyoung could say anything, a servant entered in the office, “Forgive my intrusions, my Lords, but the Kings requested of me to bring Prince Mark to his room.” He announced as bowed to the three.

Jinyoung sighed and Mark started to panic. Jinyoung leaned close to him and whispered, “Don’t worry, I will do all I can make sure it is you that call my husband.” Mark blushed as he nodded his head and followed the maid to his room.

“And what exactly are you doing to do?” Jaebum asked

Jinyoung turned and looked at him, “I have no idea. Who knows what test’s my father will put these candidates through” he sighed

“Well we better find out. Mark will never win if they should test him on politics or law.” Jaebum said.

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, “You will help?”

Jaebum scoffed, “Of course I will help, it’s not everyday your find your soulmate.” Jinyoung grinned, at least now he has one ally on his side. Jinyoung patted Jaebum shoulders before leaving his parent’s offices and separating ways with Jaebum to head to his own room.

He was halfway there when he heard barking and turned to see a white dog racing down the hall toward him. “Coco!” The dog leaped into his arms and licked his face, making him to laugh. “I missed you too, girl.” 

Together they continued to Jinyoung chambers. A large four-poster bed took up most of space in his bedroom but yet there were still lot of room. Rugs covered the stone floors, and tapestries that had been woven hanged on the walls. He looked around and thought about the long year that he’d been gone. So many things he had seen and done, and yet here he was again, seemingly no wiser or bolder than when he had left. 

Perhaps he should leave with Mark, and get married in secret. If he had brought him home as his husband, there would have been nothing his parents could do. However sneaking away like a coward in the night wasn’t exactly courageous. He was tired. It had been a long journey, and his head ached as though to remind him that he was still recovering from his injury. He sank down on his bed and wondered what new challengers would be awaiting him in the coming weeks. Coco just whined and licked his hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark followed the servant down a corridor, the man turned to him to apologize, “I’m sorry my lord, but you’ll be sharing a room with another prince. So many young prince and princess have arrived, and half of them accompanied by parents or relatives so sadly we don’t have rooms for all.” 

Mark smiled, thinking of the small house that he shared with his parents. “I don’t have any problem sharing,” he said. The two climbed a grand staircase and turned down a long hallway lined with doors. Mark wondered briefly if he would get lost among so many rooms. The servant turned into the open door at the far end of the corridor. 

Mark followed the servant into the room. The bedroom was grand, and much larger than his entire house. A boy seemingly younger than Mark himself was seated in a chair looking confused at him. He was beautiful, with snow white hair and large brown eyes. “Prince BamBam, Prince Mark,” the servant introduced with a bow to the other boy in the room. BamBam? That name sounds so familiar.

“Hello,” BamBam said, rising from his chair. 

“Hello,” Mark greeted, he was somewhat skinny yet tall. 

“My Lords, the banquet will be in one hour,” the servant said before leaving. 

“He did say your name was Prince BamBam, right?” Mark asked because the name was coming back to him.

“Yes, why?” BamBam asked confused

“Well my brother well my adopted brother Yugyeom said-”

“Yugyeomie? You know him?! You’re his brother?!” BamBam ran up to him and placed his hands on his shoulder with wide eyes.

Mark gasped, realizing the truth, “You pretended to be the servant, didn’t you?!”

BamBam shushed him, “Not so loud.” he whispered, “My servants are always around and always report to my parents so the last thing I want them to know is that I escaped from the castle and pretended to be a servant and also fell in love with someone other than the prince.”

“So why did you do it?” Mark asked confused

“I didn’t mean to.” BamBam began pulling away, “But I saw him and he was so handsome and while we were talking I fell for him. I knew I should’ve told him the truth but he wouldn’t speak to me the same way.” He blushed, “Does he talk about me?”

“Well he didn’t tell me but he told my mother about you and I didn’t find out till a while ago. But when he talked about he was smiling and I think I saw his cheeks blush.” Mark revealed

BamBam smiled widely, “Really?” But that smile fell, “Even though we might like each other, we can’t be together. I’m a prince and he’s a farm-boy.”BamBam then gasped, “Wait you said he was your brother which means he a prince too right?”

Mark was shocked by the boy’s sudden mood change but when he heard the prince’s question he shaked his head, “No it’s a long story but Yugyeom’s only my adopted brother, so he’s not a prince.”

BamBam shoulders drooped, “Oh.” He looked so sad and he wished that he could so something about it, “So where are your things?” he asked. 

Mark looked down at his ragged clothes. “I’m sadly this is all I have,” he said regretfully. 

Mark expected BamBam to laugh at him but instead BamBam eyes flew open wide, “What an exciting adventure you must’ve had! How long did it take you to get here?” 

“My whole life, it seems,” Mark shrugged. 

“Wow! You must tell me all about it,” BamBam said, eyes flashing with excitement. He clapped his hands together like a child receiving a gift. 

“Sure,” Mark shrugged. Just then a trio of servants bustled into the room and seized BamBam. 

“My lord, we must get you ready for the banquet!” one exclaimed. “Now, you haven’t been agitating yourself, have you?” another asked. “You know what your mother would say,” the third added. BamBam face fell. Mark watched in awe as the three women hurried BamBam into a fresh new outfit and began combing his hair. Mark could only watch when BamBam’s protests of wanting to comb his own hair went unheeded. BamBam looked so forlorn that Mark’s heart went out to him. 

“I wish I could loan you an outfit to wear tonight,” BamBam said. 

“I don’t think I could wear any of yours,” Mark said. 

BamBam shrugged, “Where are your servants?” He asked, scowling briefly at his own. 

“I don’t have any.” 

“Then who will help you get ready?” Before Mark could answer, BamBam smiled brightly, “Oooh Dara can help you.” 

He indicated to the youngest of the three servants. “There will be none of that,” one of the other women spoke up. “It will be our behind’s if you aren’t presentable.” BamBam frowned. But a movement in the doorway caused his eyes to light up. 

“My lord?” Mark turned around and saw the same servant that guided him to his room, stand just inside the door holding an blue outfit. It was the loveliest thing Mark had ever seen. “My lord?” the man repeated, and with a start Mark realized he was speaking to him. 

“Yes?” Mark said wondering why he was talking to me.

“I was instructed to bring you this outfit.”

“It’s for me?” Mark whispered in awe. 

“It is.” the man said nodding his head. 

Mark took the outfit, marveling at the feel of the fabric beneath his fingertips. The man bowed and then turned and left the room. BamBam somehow managed to free himself from his maids and came over to look at it. The blue was so deep that it reminded Mark of the first time he had ever seen the ocean. Delicate gold embroidery circled the neck and wrists in a pattern that reminded Mark of vines. 

“It’s beautiful,” Mark whispered. “And it’s looks so expensive. But I gotta say I’ve never seen anything so pretty.” 

“It isn’t yours?” BamBam asked confused

“No,” Mark said shaking his head. 

“Well, someone wants you to be the most exquisite lord in the castle.” BamBam smiled.

Mark shaked his head, “It must be some mistake, or else maybe they didn’t want me wearing this to dinner,” he said, indicating his current outfit. 

“It would reflect badly on all of us,” BamBam noted. “Still, I think whoever sent you this outfit must be very fond of you.” 

Mark thought of Jinyoung. Could it have been him? He was the only one he knew in the castle, after all. “Maybe so,” he said. He glanced down at himself. “I just wish they’d been fond enough to send shoes as well,” he said but with a hint of humor. 

BamBam glanced down at Mark tattered shoes. “You can wear a pair of mine.”

Mark shook his head. “I don’t think they’d fit.” 

“Actually, I think we wear the same size.” Mark glanced down and noticed that BamBam feet were much larger than he had expected. “Dara, please bring me a pair of shoes,” BamBam said. 

With a disapproving sigh at Mark, Dara handed over the shoes. They were black, and larger than he would have expected. Mark took them and then sat in a chair to try them on. “My brother always teases me about my shoes but I got it from my Mom.” BamBam said as Mark slid on the shoes. The shoes fit perfectly. Mark admired them for a moment, hoping that the outfit would fit so well. 

He looked at the rest of his body and realized that he really needed to wash before putting on the outfit. He found a washbasin and pitcher and set about cleaning up. As it turned out, the outfit was also a perfect fit. BamBam loaned him a brush, and Mark managed to comb it. After a few minutes work Mark checked his reflection in a looking glass. “I look like a prince,” he whispered. 

“I would hope so,” BamBam teased, his demeanor relaxing now that he was no longer being fussed over by his servants. “Let’s go; we don’t want to be the last to arrive.” Out in the corridor they found themselves swept into a procession. Many young men and women poured from every room to join the rest heading to the main hall. 

Arrayed in so many different colors, heads bobbing about, they made Mark think of them as a field of wildflowers waving gently in the breeze, all consumed by a single thought: Which one of them would be deemed worthy to be Prince Jinyoung partner? They descended the staircase, and Mark tried to get a good look at the people around him. From what he saw, BamBam was certainly one of the prettiest ones. 

Mark ran a hand over his hair, wondering how he compared and sure that he stood out as the outsider in the group. I don’t belong here, he thought, his stomach twisting in knots. When Mark reached the bottom of the staircase, he paused, watching as the others continued into the hall. 

Even though the king and queen had let him enter the competition, Mark didn’t have a hop of winning. He looked at the other boys and girls, with their petite figures, and pale skin, and he knew he was nothing like them. Who was he kidding if he thought he could pass for a prince, let alone a delicate, pretty one. Why should he try if he was always destined to fail?

BamBam looked back at Mark, but Mark made a motion with his hands to let him go ahead of him. “Hey.” a voiced said behind him.

Startled, Mark turned and found himself staring into Jinyoung’e eyes. “Hey,” he said, with a shaky voice. 

“I’m sorry I frightened you.” Jinyoung apologized and Mark shook his head dismissing his apology. “You look amazing,” he said as he looked at him up and down. 

Mark smiled, “Thank you for the outfit.” 

Jinyoung frowned as he shook his head, “I didn’t send it for you, although I wish I had thought of it,” he confessed. 

Mark gave him a confused look, “If it wasn’t you who sent the outfit, then who did?” 

“I honestly don’t know.” Jinyoung shrugged. A beautiful dog with long white hair bounced up next to Jinyoung and whined. “Hey, Coco, let me introduce you to the Prince Mark.” 

Mark extended his hand, and the dog sniffed it and then licked it. “She’s beautiful,” he said. 

“Thanks,” Jinyoung replied with a small smile. 

Mark looked through Jinyoung’s eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say. The hallway became silent as the last of the chattering prince and princesses disappeared from view. They were alone. Mark could tell him exactly how he felt, but somehow being in the castle was so much more awkward than walking around the farm. The grand size of the building took his breath away, and he had been almost afraid to look at the art that decorated the walls, feeling as though a stare might ruin the delicate work. 

Jinyoung stepped closer, and for a moment Mark forgot to breathe. He put a finger under his chin and tilted his head up toward his face. “There’s a question I asked you that you’ve never answered.” He pinned him with his stare, and Mark felt the rest of the world melt away. It was as if only the two of them existed. Softly, he asked, “Is it me?” 

“To be honest, I did answer your question but I lied. It is you.” Mark breathed. Jinyoung smiled and leaned in to Mark and he closed his eyes. 

“Your Highness!” Mark jerked, and he opened his eyes just in time to see Jinyoung turn aside, a look of irritation on his face. Jaebum smirked at the two, “Your parents wish for you to join them in the throne room.” 

“Thank you, Lord Jaebum,” Jinyoung said through clenched teeth, he then turned to excuse himself, he stared at Mark with smoldering eyes. “Pardon me,” he said, bowing. “I’ll see you at the banquet.” Mark nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Jinyoung strode toward the throne room after the Jaebum, and after a moment Mark continued on in the direction the others had gone and quickly entered the great hall. In the banquet hall Mark discovered that BamBam had saved him a seat toward the head of the table, and he gratefully took it. Mark counted nineteen other candidates besides himself at the table. There were several others that he took to be parents or older siblings of some of them.

“Did you come here with anyone in addition to your servants?” Mark asked. 

BamBam smiled, “Nope. I was able to convince my parents that I will be fine with just my servants. It took a while but I was able to get them to say yes” he grinned widely and Mark smiled along with him.

Nearly all of the chairs at the table were filled, and it looked like almost everyone had assembled except for Jaebum, Jinyoung and his parents. Mark was mesmerized by the high ceilings, the length of the table—which would take a good while to walk—and all of the ornate clothing. 

Even the lower-ranking servants wore finer clothes than Mark had ever owned. The table was set with bunches of brightly colored flowers, gold and silver plates, and food he didn’t recognize laid out in large bowls and platters. None of Mark’s dining companions seemed the least amazed or impressed by it all. He swallowed hard, reminded once more of what an trespasser he was in Jinyoung’s world. 

Suddenly there was a collective intake of breath from the guests seated around the table. Mark turned to see what everyone was looking at in the doorway. A young man seemed to gracefully enter into the room. He had raven black hair and eyes to match. His skin was so pale Mark had to wonder if he’d ever seen the sun. His face was proud and his posture rigid and his magnificent golden suit put all the others, including Mark’s, to shame. He was the most handsome man Mark had ever seen. 

Several of the other’s groaned quietly in dismay at the sight of him, “Who is that?” Mark asked BamBam. 

“Byun Baekhyun, the prince of Ixania. Everyone thinks he’s the one to beat.” 

“Just because he is pretty? The challenges haven’t even begun,” Mark said. 

A girl to BamBam left shook her head. “Don’t worry. Baekhyun is sure to win every one of them. When Baekhyun wants something, he gets it.” 

Mark gritted his teeth. Why was it that the son of the evil Ixania devils who had caused such turmoil and despair during the Great War looks like an angel? Mark had an abrupt desire to tear the other boy apart with his bare hands. Baekhyun’s parents had murdered the Cordinia royal family—his family, Mark reminded himself. 

He wanted punch the other prince’s face but by anyone’s measure engaging in a brawl during dinner at the castle was definitely not something a prince should do. Besides he shouldn’t really blame Baekhyun for his parent’s crimes. It wasn’t like he suggested it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked this chapter. I should be able to post the next one sometime early next week (hopefully) so it shouldn't be a long wait. Anyways thank you for reading ^^  
> Comment plz


	6. Chapter 6

Mark watched as Baekhyun found his seat at the other end of the table; he didn’t realize that BamBam watching his behavior, “Are you okay?” BamBam asked. 

“I will be.” Mark said, forcing a smile. 

A steward clapped his hands twice to get everyone’s attention. “Majesties, Highnesses, lords and ladies, I give you King Wooyoung, King Nickhun, and Prince Jinyoung.” 

Everyone rose to their feet as the royal family entered the banquet hall, and Mark followed as well. Jinyoung walked beside Nickhun and Jaebum had walked behind the three. Watching him at a distance, Mark was struck again by how handsome he was. He also seemed so different in this regal setting, as if he were far away in another world. And for an instant he forgot that he was his Jinyoung, the Jinyoung he had nursed back to health, the Jinyoung he had shared a stolen moment with just minutes before, the Jinyoung who had been leaning in to kiss him, again. 

Once Jinyoung and his parents were seated at the head of the table, the rest of the guests seated themselves. However Jaebum stood off to the side doing his job as Jinyoung’s knight. Just then platters filled with the most exotic food Mark had ever seen, steaming and aromatic, were carried in. The food Mark had assumed was the main course had been only the cold dishes. As he stared at what was set before him, he realized that he was ill prepared to act like a prince, especially since he didn’t even know how to eat like one. 

There was a bowl of what looked to be clear broth set before each person. Mark held in his hands it and then paused. Discreetly, he watched BamBam to see how he would drink it. BamBam reached toward the bowl and put his hands in it. He rinsed them thoroughly before drying them on a cloth set beside his plate. Mark felt himself heating up with embarrassment. He was about to drink the wash water. 

As the dinner progressed, Mark could hear the happy exclamations of the others as they tried first one dish and then another. All of the food must have been delicious, but Mark was so preoccupied with trying to eat like a lord that he barely tasted a thing. He took a bite of beef and nearly choked. 

“Are you alright?” BamBam asked. 

Mark nodded and then quietly asked, “What is this?” 

“Beef.” BamBam said if it was obvious.

“I know, but what’s on it?” 

“I don’t know which spices,” BamBam confessed, “but it is amazing. If this dinner is a sampling of what the cook can prepare, that alone would make staying here worthwhile.” 

Mark glanced toward the head of the table and caught Jinyoung staring at him. He blushed and tried to smile. He raised an eyebrow and he smiled wider, hoping to convince him, and himself, that everything was just fine. 

Finally, to Mark’s relief, there was a lull between dishes, and King Wooyoung stood up to address his guests. “Everyone welcome to Caledonia,” he began. “We have called you here because it is time for our son Jinyoung to take a partner. With so many beautiful and worthy prince and princesses we realized that choosing one over the other would be impossible. Therefore we devised this contest. The lord or lady who can pass each challenge will demonstrate themselves to be the most delicate, the most refined prince or princess of all and will become our son’s partner, and the prince or princess of Caledonia.” 

There were many murmurs of approval from around the table. But Mark noticed Jinyoung looked as troubled by the situation and gave a face to Jaebum who merely shrugged. King Nickhun then spoke, “The first test is tomorrow. Everyone, I would suggest you adjourn to your rooms immediately after dinner so that you may be well rested. I want to take this opportunity to wish you all luck. May the best prince or princess win!” 

Mark sat in silence, a feeling of unease growing within him. Meanwhile everyone around him chattered excitedly. BamBam gave him a cheerful smile, and Mark was not as quick to return it. More food continued to arrive from the kitchen, but Mark’s stomach was clenched too tightly for him to think about eating any more. 

He glanced up and down the table, wondering if it would be rude for him go to his room. Did he need to ask the king’s permission to leave? Was he expected to stay until dismissed? Inwardly, Mark groaned in frustration. There were so many things he didn’t know. His parents had raised him to be honest and hardworking. They knew nothing of courts and kings and etiquette and could never have prepared him for his current situation. 

“Is something wrong?” BamBam asked. 

“I don’t feel so well,” Mark admitted. He didn’t like sharing his discomfort, but he realized BamBam was the only one who might help him get the answers he needed. 

“Are you sick?” BamBam asked, leaning away in alarm. 

Mark shook his head. “No, just exhausted. I would like to lie down and rest.” 

BamBam signaled to a servant, who approached. “Could you tell the king’s that my companion and I are tired and wish to retire for the evening?” BamBam asked politely. The man bowed and then hurried to the head of the table, where he spoke to the King Nickhun. King Nickhun looked down the table at BamBam and Mark, smiled at them, and nodded. “Let’s go,” BamBam said, rising. 

“You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to,” Mark protested. 

“Hush, I couldn’t eat another bite. Besides, you heard what King Nickhun said about getting our rest. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.” 

As Mark followed BamBam from the hall, he resolved to watch and copy the other boy’s mannerisms and behavior, since he hadn’t the slightest inkling of how he was supposed to act. 

Approaching the staircase, Mark began to look around him. When he had first arrived, his thoughts had been consumed with his task, and he hadn’t taken a close look at his surroundings. Without guests streaming down it, the empty staircase was wide enough that Mark could lie down flat on a stair and still leave enough room for people to walk up on either side of him. The dark wood seemed to glow in the light from all the candles and torches that adorned it.

At the top of the staircase Mark saw three long corridors, in addition to the one that led to his room, dimly lit by candlelight. He stood for a moment, peering down each of them and breathlessly wondering which one led to Jinyoung’s bedroom. BamBam called to him softly to get Mark’s attention and started walking toward their room. Mark dropped his eyes to the stone floor and hurried down the hall after him. 

Back in their shared room BamBam collapsed in the chair he had been sitting in earlier. “So what did you think of our competition?” he asked. 

Mark immediately thought of Baekhyun, and he felt anger rushing through him. Even though he decided to not put the entire blame on the prince it still isn’t right that he was there competing. Competing as if nothing had happened, as if his family hadn’t slaughtered Cordinia royal family. No, not just the royal family, Mark reminded himself. His family. 

“Is something wrong?” BamBam asked, concerned. 

Mark shook his head and glanced down at his hands. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were cutting into his palms. He forced his muscles to relax, and he did his best to put Baekhyun from his thoughts. Mark took a deep breath and thought about the other prince and princesses he had met at the table. “They all looked very beautiful and seemed quite pleasant.” 

BamBam stared at him for a moment before giggling. “They’re royalty. Of course they were.” 

“So, I guess all prince and princesses are beautiful?” 

BamBam giggled harder. “No.” 

Mark looked at him confused. “But you just said—” 

“You said that they all looked beautiful. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean they are. With skilled help even the plainest person can be beautiful.” 

“Really?” Mark asked, his eyes widening at the thought. 

“Really. Although, clearly, that’s something you’ve never had to worry about.” BamBam said with no bite.

“Where I come from, how I looked was not important,” Mark shrugged. 

“We should all be so lucky,” BamBam sighed. 

“I think you’re teasing me.” Mark smiled. 

BamBam shook his head. “Before my looks were all I cared about but now I’m just sick of it. It’s not real it’s not the real me. They aren’t really as they seem.” He huffed, Mark instantly felt bad for the prince. “Do you remember the girl sitting across from you?” Mark nodded, “She had a wart on her chin.” 

“No!” Mark laughed

“Oh yes. And the boy across from me—” 

“You mean the one with the dazzlingly white teeth?” Mark questioned

“Uh if you mean the one with the dazzlingly fake white teeth.” BamBam snorted. Mark gasped as he couldn’t believe it. “The girl with the red hair that was so perfect it almost didn’t seem real was actually a wig.” Mark sat down on his bed and began to laugh until tears streamed down his face. It felt good to laugh. There had been so much heaviness, so much sorrow lately, that finding something to laugh about was a relief. 

“Okay, what about Baekhyun? What’s he hiding?” Mark finally asked. 

BamBam smile faded. “A cold, evil heart.” 

Mark stopped laughing. “Are you sure?” 

“Yes. I can read people. It is somewhat of a gift. I think. Anyways his physical beauty is genuine enough, but his spirit is whole other dark matter.” Mark shuddered. Baekhyun was the son of people who had had an entire family killed in their sleep. To expect him to be a warm, caring person would be to expect an apple tree to produce peaches. “We probably should get some sleep,” BamBam said.

“Yeah you’re right,” Mark said, realizing for the first time how exhausted he was. He turned to look at his bed and wondered for a moment if he would even be able to sleep in it. It was incredibly soft, much more so than what he was used to sleep on. It stood several inches higher from the ground than his as well and was piled with furs and blankets. 

Undressing quickly, Mark slipped between the sheets and it was softer than lying in a field of spring grass. He thought about Jinyoung sleeping in his tiny, hard bed at home and marveled that he had been able to get any rest. In the quiet of the dark room Mark’s thoughts turned to home, and he found it hard to believe that he had left there only hours before. Mark closed his eyes and tried to sleep but an hour later Mark was still awake, wishing that he could fall asleep. The feeling of restlessness in his strange surroundings and the worry for the competition made it harder to rest. Mark could hear BamBam lightly snoring, and wish to the gods above he could do the same. 

Mark then began to hear the sound of soft footfalls. He held his breath, wondering for one wild moment if the King’s were checking to see who might be sleep. His worry gave way to curiosity as he realized that it didn’t sound like the shuffling of a human’s step. A wet nose touched his hand and Mark sat up with a start and saw Coco standing next to his bed. She held something in her mouth. 

He stretched out his hand and Coco dropped a roll of parchment into it. “Good, Coco,” Mark whispered, scratching her behind her ears. Coco leaned into his hand for a moment. Then she turned and left the room. BamBam was still asleep, so Mark decided to risk lighting the candle on the table by his bed. The flame flared brightly to life, and he shielded it with his hand as he glanced toward the other boy's bed. BamBam continued to snore. Mark carefully unrolled the parchment. The letter had been written in a strong, sure hand. Mark, if you hope to pass the test tomorrow, do as I instruct. Jinyoung had done as he promised. Mark breathed a sigh of relief before reading on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jinyoung couldn’t sleep, and Jaebum found himself pacing in front of his parents’ chambers. Before he could question the prince, Wooyoung opened the door, saw the two standing there, and held it wide for them to enter. Nickhun was also up and sitting at a table, quill in hand. 

Jinyoung and Jaebum walked in, closed the door, and Jinyoung asked, “What kingdom is Mark from?”

King Nickhun shook his head. “Sorry son but we can’t tell you.” 

The two were very confused, “Your Majesties why not? Who will we tell?” Jaebum asked wondering why it’s such a secret.

“We know the two of you won’t say a thing but if you have not forgotten we have many people within the castle from different kingdoms. We do not know who’s listening. Saying which kingdom he’s from, could get him killed.” King Wooyoung said seriously

Jinyoung and Jaebum gasped, is the matter that serious? “If he actually is who he said he is.” King Nickhun muttered

Jinyoung frowned, “You don’t believe him? He has proof of his birthright. He could’ve claimed it all this time but he didn’t, it wasn’t till we met and fell—hung out that he was told the truth of his royal title.” 

Both King’s looked at each other, their son was right, “We allowed Mark to compete and we will not pull him out but if he wins, a lot of questions will be asked about him and his kingdom and we would like to cover all the bases before another war could be started over him winning.” King Wooyoung said, “And that’s the last thing anyone wants.”

Jinyoung understood since he knew a war could spark because other kingdoms would have preferred their child to win. However an ugly thought came to him but Jaebum asked the question before he could, “And what if he doesn’t wins?” 

“Then Jinyoung shall marry the winner immediately, and their parents will support us in whatever comes,” King Nickhun sighed. 

Jinyoung shook his head. “It’s always about politics,” he muttered. 

“Always. And as prince you would do well to remember that,” King Wooyoung said. 

“But I love Mark.” He finally said and his parent’s looked at him.

“It’s a noble sentiment, but treaties and alliances are based on mutual self-interest and gain, not love,” King Nickhun said. 

“Don’t lose hope in him,” King Wooyoung added. “He could win.” 

“How?” Jinyoung asked bitterly. “These contests you have arranged are absurd.” He sighed

Jaebum then spoke, “If I may be so bold, Your Majesties-”

“When have you not.” King Nickhun snorted. Jaebum family was very closely tied to Jinyoung family and the two became fast friends at a young age. It’s to the point to where the two King’s view Jaebum as their own son.

“Then let me say that I very much doubt that most nobles could pass them, let alone Mark, who has worked his entire life and known nothing of ease or finery.” Jaebum said and Jinyoung had to agree since it was only a mere few hours ago that he learned of the challenge and he had to say it was quite stupid.

“You boy must have more faith in him, and in us,” King Nickhun smiled. Jinyoung and Jaebum paused and stared at him for a moment, trying to interpret his meaning. 

“Is there something you haven’t told me?” Jinyoung asked at last. 

“We have told you two everything you need to know,” King Wooyoung smiled. 

But not everything I want to know, Jinyoung thought. He debated whether or not to press the issue further but sensed he would get nothing more from his parents at the moment. But Jinyoung could play that game too, he didn’t know all that his parents were planning, but he could do everything in his power to make sure that at the end it was Mark and not anyone else who was still standing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^^


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long I've been so distracted. Hope you like it

Mark woke up and for a second he questioned where he was till he remembered. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours he could barely believe it. He thought of his parents and brother and wished that they might be well and happy. He sat up slowly. The bed was so soft it was hard to get out of it, he glanced across the room and saw BamBam also beginning to wake. Mark struggled out of bed and retrieved his outfit from the night before. It seemed too fancy to wear during the day, but his own clothes were ruined from his journey and seemed to have disappeared from the room as well. 

Mark dressed quickly in his previous outfit and then sat to brush his hair. The tangles were nearly too much for the brush, and he winced in pain as it pulled at his hair. He heard BamBam get up and move around, but Mark was focused on his hair. 

“Would you like me to brush it for you?” BamBam asked suddenly. 

Mark jumped to see BamBam standing an arm’s length away. “No, I’m fine,” Mark said quickly. BamBam shrugged and went back to his side of the room while Mark continued to battle his tangled dark brown locks. A couple of minutes later BamBam servants bursted in and began to fuss over him. “I’m going to breakfast,” Mark said, having done his hair as best he could. 

“I’ll be there shortly,” BamBam groaned through gritted teeth. Downstairs Mark walked from room to room, taking in the immensity of the castle. He walked by the throne room, but it was empty. He kept walking, watching as servants went through their morning routines. Suddenly he heard what sounded like Jinyoung voice as he came close to another room. 

Mark paused for a moment, not wanting to interrupt. “Wish you luck in the competition,” Jinyoung said. 

“Thank you but I won’t need it,” a deep voice said. Mark heart began to pound, he started to move away, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. A few minutes later Baekhyun appeared in the hallway, looking even more handsome than he had the night before. A smug smile was firmly in place, and it didn’t falter even a bit when he saw Mark. “You, boy, can you fetch me some water?” 

“Excuse me?” Mark asked, when he realized Baekhyun was talking to him.

“Oh, sorry, I thought you were one of the servants,” Baekhyun chuckled. 

“I’m not,” Mark frowned. 

“Are you really sure about that?” Baekhyun asked bluntly. “Listen, you might as well go home; I’ve got this competition in the bag.” 

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay,” Mark said through gritted teeth. 

Baekhyun shrugged. “Whatever. You probably won’t even make it past the first test. I mean, look at you. Those ugly hands; the way you walk. I even thought you were going to drink the wash water yesterday. It’s obvious you’re not a prince, you’re a fake.” 

Mark opened his mouth to protest but couldn’t think of anything to say. Baekhyun was right, and from the look on his face he knew it. Baekhyun continued on his way, smirking. Mark thought about going back to his room, but he wasn’t ready to face a conversation with BamBam. Instead Mark walked towards the great hall. 

Mark realized that he was the first to arrive and took the same seat from the night before. Hurried-looking servants passed to and fro with barely a glance in his direction. A man entered the room, saw Mark, and made straight for him. Mark recognized him as the man who had brought him the beautiful suit. 

The man looked agitated, and he was wringing his hands. “Begging your pardon, my lord.” He bowed.

“What is it?” Mark asked, a note of concern. Mark feared that the king’s had rethought their decision to allow him to compete and had sent this man to deliver the news. “I’m sorry, but I just now put the rest of your things in your room.” 

“My things?” Mark asked confused

“Your other clothes and such. I was meant to do it last night.” 

“What is your name?” Mark asked. “Jiho, my lord.” 

“Jiho, who gave you this suit to give to me?” Mark asked curious. 

Jiho looked at him, confused. “Why, no one, my lord. I was told by the servant that it was your suits and to take it up to you along with the rest of your things.” 

Mark sighed, “Oh, well, thank you,” he said. Jiho nodded and then scurried away. Mark was no closer to discovering his benefactor’s identity. 

BamBam arrived at the table a few minutes later. “The rest of your things were delivered to the room,” he smiled. 

“So I heard.” He muttered. Not long after, everyone else was seated around the table, including Jinyoung and his parents. Compared to dinner the night before, everyone ate breakfast in relative silence. Mark guessed he wasn’t the only one who was nervous. The rich food wasn’t helping him to calm down either. 

As breakfast was finishing, King Wooyoung stood up to make an announcement. “As you know, the competition begins today. The first challenge tests your sensitivity. There will be four pairs of rings set before you. In each pair one thread is gold and one is fake gold. You must choose the real gold ring in each pair. Those who correctly identify all four gold rings threads may remain. The rest may leave or stay as they wish, but they will not continue to the next challenge.” 

All around Mark heads nodded in understanding of the challenge but Mark’s heart sank. Were these people’s hands really so sensitive, that they could tell real gold from fake in a single pair? 

“You may return to your rooms. A servant will come for each of you one at a time.” King Nickhun ordered. Back in their room Mark could not sit still, and he paced the floor. Right, left, left, right. That was what Jinyoung had written to him. That was how he should choose. 

“At least this first challenge should be easy,” BamBam said, attempting to make conversation as he sat at the table and watched Mark. 

It took all of Mark willpower to keep from yelling at him. He had never even touched a actual gold before. “So, all royalty should be able to tell the difference?” Mark asked. 

BamBam shrugged. “Any who have ever had lesson on currency, or given gold which would be a lot.” he then sighed. “It’s one of the many boring lessons I have.” 

“I’ve never had any lesson on currency,” Mark admitted. 

BamBam’s eyes widened, and then he smiled, “What wonderful parent’s you have unless they made you take other boring lessons?” He gasped

“No.” Mark said shaking his head, “But they let me do other things.” 

“Like what?” BamBam questioned

“I can cook. I make a great apple pie,” Mark smiled. “I was thinking of entering in a baking contest at the festival.” 

BamBam stared at Mark, mouth gaping. “They let you in the kitchen?” he squealed. 

“Of course.” Mark smiled

“And they weren’t afraid you would burn yourself or cut yourself?” BamBam asked shocked

Mark laughed. “Of course not. I learned how to handle knives and how to treat fire since I was little.” 

“Wow you really such great parent’s.” BamBam said in awe

Mark gave him a confused look, “But you’re a prince, shouldn’t you be tough and learned how to fight?”

BamBam shaked his head, “Sadly no, since not all men can get pregnant the ones that can are treated like women. We have to delicate like a flower so we don’t strain our bodies.” He sighed. Mark gasped softly as he never knew that. In his village whether or not a man can give birth they all are treated the same.

A sudden knock came at the door. The maid appeared. “Prince Mark, the king's are ready for you,” she said. Mark gulped as the maid to the throne room. There were fewer people there this time, just the king’s, a few servants, and a handful of petitioners. Mark looked around for Jinyoung but was disappointed to discover he was absent. 

“Come, Prince,” King Nickhun said. 

Mark stepped forward, and there on a table were the four sets of ring. Right, left, left, right. That’s what the paper had said. Mark prayed Jinyoung had gotten it right. 

“Tell us, which of the rings is real?” King Wooyoung asked. Mark touched each one in turn, closing his eyes as he did so he could concentrate on his sense of touch. In dismay he realized that he truly couldn’t tell the difference between any of the ring. 

After touching the last ring, Mark opened his eyes and looked at Jinyoung parents, who were leaning forward on their thrones, awaiting his answer. “The real gold ring is on the right, here on the left, there on the left, and here on the right,” he said, indicating each in turn. Mark looked up and held his breath, waiting for them to speak. 

“Thank you,” King Nickhun said. He made a motion with his hand and then turned aside to talk with King Wooyoung. 

Mark stood for a moment and then realized that he had been dismissed. “Excuse me, Your Majesties?” Both Kings looked back at Mark, clearly startled at the interruption. Mark could tell he had made a mistake calling the Kings out like that, but since he called called on them, he continued speaking. “Did I pass the test?” 

“We will make an announcement this evening at dinner,” he said. “You may go for now.” 

Mark bowed and just as he reached the door when he heard King Wooyoung say, “Just a minute. Mark?” 

Mark turned in feeling a little disappointed. Being demoted from “Prince” to just “Mark” couldn’t be a good thing. Unless he was overthinking to where they called him by his name because they were familiar with him. “Yes, Your Majesty?” 

“I would like you to stay for a minute. Come here, please.” King Wooyoung said

Mark moved quickly to stand before the thrones again. “We’re hearing petitions today. Competition or no, work still continues.” Mark didn’t know what to say, so he just remained quiet. “Two men are disputing over the right to farm a piece of land. I believe it is near your family. I’m going to let them argue their cases, and if I have any questions, I would like you to answer them. I would like to have an unbiased answer from someone who might be in a position to know a something about farming.” 

“I’d be happy to assist in any way I can,” Mark said, and then he bowed. 

“Steward, bring them in,” King Nickhun instructed. Two farmers entered and came before the king’s. One was tall, with wide eyes, and the other was short, yet a little on the chubby side with chubby cheeks. “Please share your complaint.” 

The short one spoke up. “Your Majesty, the land that I farm requires water for irrigation, which comes from a stream. We are neighbors and have always had an agreement to share the water. Two weeks ago, though, he dammed the water on his land, and now my crops are dying.” 

“We had no such agreement regarding the water,” the tall one insisted. 

“Steward, how many bushels does each produce a year from the land he works?” King Nickhun asked. Mark listened as the steward gave his answer, and he studied the two men closely. The argument was over whether or not there had been an agreement, which meant one of them was lying. The question was, which one? Each man continued to argue his side, while the kings asked additional questions. Mark watched each man closely as he responded, and even more closely when he was listening to the other one. 

“Mark, what do you think?” King Wooyoung asked quietly. 

Mark was surprised that the kings would ask his opinion. “The tall man is lying.” 

“Are you sure?” King Wooyoung whispered

“Yes.” Mark nodded, convinced finally of the truth. “They had an agreement; the tall one is lying.” 

“How do you know that?” King Nickhun asked curiously

“Given the crops being raised, the short man could not possibly expect to plant and harvest without a steady supply of water. He would have been a fool not to have an agreement with his neighbor.” Mark answered

“And what makes you think he’s not a fool?” King Nickhun questioned 

Mark answered, “Because he looked you in the eyes; he’s hiding nothing. The tall one wouldn’t look anyone here in the eyes, including his neighbor.” 

“Thank you, Mark. I appreciate your insight,” King Wooyoung said. “Steward, make sure the dam is removed from the stream.” The steward bowed and escorted the two men out. 

“Mark, you may go.” King Nickhun said. 

“Thank you,” Mark bowed, not sure what else to say, and left. 

Mark returned to his room, where BamBam was waiting on his chair, “You were gone for so long! What happened?” 

“There was a lot going on down there,” Mark sighed as he sat on his bed. 

“Did you pass?” BamBam wondered

Mark shrugged, “I don’t know. They are going to announce the results at dinner.” 

BamBam gasped, “That’s so cruel! Waiting the whole day is going to be horrible.” He groaned

“Prince BamBam, Their Majesties are ready for you,” said the steward from the doorway. BamBam stood up from his chair and followed him out. Mark wanted to wish him good luck, but in truth he hoped that every other person failed, including BamBam. Mark sat down in a chair and stared at the window looking toward his village in the distance. Mark tried not to think about the test, or Jinyoung which of course left him with very little to think about.


	8. Chapter 8

BamBam was depressed when he returned from the test. “How did you do?” Mark asked. 

“Fine I suppose, I could tell which rings were the real gold.” BamBam sighed as he fell back on his seat.

Mark’s heart fell, but forced a fake smile on his face, “Then why aren’t you happy?” 

“Someday I’ll be king of my own country or another and there are some things I’m not looking forward to in that regard. I’m sad that I’ll never get to do anything I have dreamed to do and some of the responsibilities of being king, though, I don’t want.” 

“I’m sorry.” Mark apologized. He had no ideas of what life a prince must go through especially one that is able to have a child. 

BamBam shrugged. “Let’s talk about something happy.” 

“Like what?” Mark asked as he couldn’t think of a single thing.

“Like how we’re going to fix your hair for dinner tonight and maybe you could tell me a little more about Yugyeom.” BamBam smiled shyly

Mark laughed, “Well that last part I don’t mind but I don’t know how fixing my hair would be a happy subject.” 

BamBam grinned from ear to ear, “Are you serious? This could be great. No one ever lets me fix my own hair, so I can at least do yours.” 

Mark couldn’t help but smile at BamBam enthusiasm. While BamBam was fixing his hair, he asked so many questions about Yugyeom that Mark couldn’t keep up, however when he saw the smile on BamBam face when he answered he made sure to leave nothing out. The problem nagged at him at the back of his mind is that BamBam problem was similar to one he had when he first fell for Jinyoung. The two of them were from different social classes, and most likely BamBam’s parents won’t take too kindly to having a farm-boy as son-in-law. 

Half an hour later the smile had turned into a grimace as BamBam put the finishing touches on his hair. “Ouch,” Mark frowned. 

“Sorry. Your hair was really tangled,” BamBam apologized. “But not anymore, though. I think you’ll like it.” 

BamBam handed Mark a mirror. “It’s amazing,” Mark said in awe. 

“I’m glad you like it,” BamBam said, pride in his voice. There was a knock at the door, and once again the steward appeared. “My Lords, there will be a ball tonight following dinner.” BamBam squealed in excitement, and the man backed out of the room. “Perfect, your hair is already done.” 

“Do you want me to hold your maids at bay so you can fix your own?” Mark asked, standing up. 

BamBam gasped, “Could you? That would be wonderful!” 

Mark reached the doorway just in time to intercept the maids. “His Highness does not require your services,” Mark told them. 

“We’re here to take care of her and to make sure he shines,” the one in charge said, her jaw set stubbornly. 

Mark smiled and straightened his posture, and since he was at least three inches taller than the maid he took advantage of the height difference. “The prince needs no help shining. When he has need of your services, he will call for you.” The maid looked like she was about to argue with him. 

“Please make them go away,” Mark heard BamBam whisper. 

Mark took a deep breath. “You will go now or suffer my wrath.” He put as much authority into his voice as possible. He was a prince, and even if he wasn’t, they didn’t know that. The maids might be used to pushing BamBam around, confident that they had his parents’ backing. But if they were smart, they would know better than to defy a prince they were not responsible for readying. It worked. Grudgingly, all three women dropped their eyes and took several steps back. “Prince BamBam will send for you when he has need of you,” Mark said. “You may go now.” 

The three maids turned and walked down the hall. Mark watched them until they were out of sight and then sagged against the door frame. “You were magnificent!” BamBam said in awe. “Thank you so much.” 

“You’re welcome. If you don’t look your best tonight, though, I’m sure the tall one is going to have my head.” While BamBam began to work on his hair, Mark looked through the armoire which held the clothes that had been sent for him. There were half a dozen suits ranging from a simple blue outfit to a stunning black one that looked fit for a king. “Do we wear different outfits to the ball than to dinner?” Mark asked. 

“That depends entirely on our choosing. Most will probably change between dinner and the ball. However I think I’ll only change once.” 

“I guess I will too then.” Mark shrugged.

“So let’s wear the suits we want to wear to the ball and pledge to each other that we won’t spill food on them.” BamBam asked he held his hand out towards Mark.

“Done,” Mark smiled as he shook BamBam’s hands. “I think I’ve found the best suit.” She pulled out a red suit as that was his favorite color. 

“Perfect,” BamBam grinned as he continued to fix his hair. 

Mark picked at his food, too nervous to eat, he noticed that around him most of the others were doing the same. BamBam and a boy with silvery white hair seemed to be the only ones with an appetite. Mark kept stealing glances at Jinyoung. He didn’t seem to be eating either and seemed uncomfortable. Was it possible that even he didn’t know the results? Or did he perhaps know that he had failed?

At last the king’s called them all to attention. Mark could feel fear and excitement filling the room. “As you know, the first test was given today. Seventeen of you passed.” Mark’s jaw dropped. BamBam was right. Mark wondered about the three who had failed and was worried that he was one of them. “Prince and Princesses Sehun, Joy, and Irene, you are free to go, or to stay, if you like, to enjoy the festivities.” The three young royals rose from the table, curtsied/bowed, and left the room. 

Mark sat very still, he had passed the first test, and he was still in the competition! Part of him, though, felt horrible that he had only passed because Jinyoung and Coco had helped him. But if he had been raised as a prince, he would probably have been able to tell the difference. 

“Congratulations,” BamBam whispered. 

“Thanks you and congratulation to you too as well.” Mark said him and he glanced up to the head of the table and saw Jinyoung smiling at him, a look of relief on his face. So he hadn’t known in advance who had passed either.

Mark surveyed the rest of the competitors, relief and excitement were the dominant emotions on people’s faces. Everyone who had been too nervous to touch their food at dinner now ate the dessert set before them. Dinner ended, and all of the guests left the table, having been informed that the ball would commence in an hour. Most of the competitors headed for their rooms. Mark and BamBam decided to pass the time outside instead. 

The night was beautiful, the sky was clear, and millions of stars shone brightly above. They strolled through the garden. Even though it was nighttime, many torches were lit along the pathway, and Mark marveled at everything around him. There were statues that towered over him, fountains that fed tiny ponds, and an endless variety of flowers. Everything was beautiful, and it took Marks breath away. 

BamBam noticed. “You act like you’ve never seen a garden before.” 

“I’ve seen plenty of fields of wildflowers and crops, but none that were for decoration instead of food.” Mark replied and BamBam gave him a strange look, but before she could say anything, they spied a boy sitting alone on one of the benches. He had golden blonde hair and his eyes were casted up towards the sky but even Mark could see he was sad. “Who is that?” Mark whispered, he knew it wasn’t one of the three had failed the test. 

“That’s Jackson, I feel sorry for him.” 

“Why?” Mark wondered. 

“His parents died a couple of years ago and he’s set to become king when he turns nineteen. His uncle is currently acting as regent.” BamBam said sadly

“Nineteen?” Mark asked, “Isn’t normally eighteen?”

“Yes but because he’s able to have children, it was changed to his nineteenth birthday.” BamBam sighed

It amazed Mark how much men like him were treated differently in other kingdoms than those who couldn’t reproduce, “So what’s the matter?”

BamBam frowned, “It’s his uncle. No one trusts him, he’s a foul man, and I would be surprised if Jackson lives to see that birthday.” 

Mark gasped, “That’s terrible!” His heart immediately went out to the other prince. 

“I think he suspects so too. That’s one of the reasons he’s so eager to marry Prince Jinyoung. His uncle wouldn’t dare try anything then.” BamBam explained

“But wouldn’t Jackson and Jinyoung rule both kingdoms then?” Mark asked. 

BamBam shrugged, “They would probably rule Jackson’s kingdom until either Jinyoung’s parents die or abdicate the throne’s to the two kingdoms. Then, who knows? Maybe a lost heir of Cordinia will appear. You know, there have been rumors that a baby escaped the massacre here.” 

“So I’ve heard,” Mark said, hastily averting his eyes. 

“You know, you’ve never said which kingdom you’re from,” BamBam said suddenly. 

He could lie but most likely BamBam would know. He shouldn’t say anything though especially since he hasn’t even told Jinyoung and he’s sure his parents hadn’t even told him. However BamBam has been so helpful to him and practically been his friend, “From Cordinia,” Mark whispered. 

BamBam gasped as he put a hand on Mark’s shoulder, and Mark turned to face him. “You? You’re the lost heir of Cordinia?” He whispered.

“Yes I am,” Mark confessed. “But please don’t say anything and please whisper when you speak about this.” 

“Yes of course but this is incredible.” BamBam whispered, “This means that you are the rightful king of Cordinia.” 

Mark shook his head. “That’s not what I want.” 

“Then what do you want?” BamBam wondered 

“Jinyoung,” he said with a sigh. 

“Uh you do realize that you’re in a competition for the marriage of said man, right?” BamBam snorted. 

Mark nodded and then he looked over his shoulder. “Do you think we should go talk to Jackson?” 

BamBam shook his head. “I think he wants to be alone.” 

“Maybe that’s just because he feels alone.” Mark said

BamBam sighed. “You have a point.” 

Together they retraced their steps and approached Jackson. The other boy looked up, startled, at their approach. Mark and BamBam sat down on either side of him. “Is there something wrong?” Mark asked. 

Jackson nodded, “No reason to lie about it since everyone knows my situation.” 

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Mark asked. 

“Yes.” Jackson replied.

Mark was surprised, but he reached out and took Jackson’s hand. “What is it?” 

“Promise me that if one of you wins this challenge, you will help me with my uncle.” Jackson asked

“I do not know how I can help, but I will certainly try,” Mark promised. 

“As will I,” BamBam said.

“Thank you,” Jackson smiled and he looked so handsome when he smiled genuinely. Jackson squeezed Mark’s hand, then stood abruptly and wiped away her tears still held in his eyes. “Come on now. We have a ball to attend.” 

The three walked along the garden pathway toward the castle. Mark heard a noise behind her and turned in time to glimpse a woman disappearing around a hedge. Mark thought he might follow the woman to see who it was, but he had a ball to attend to. He could only hope that he didn’t endanger his life or the lives of others.

Inside the castle the table in the great hall had been cleared away to make room for dancing, and several musicians were tuning their instruments. A number of young nobles gathered in the elegant space, and Mark was relieved, he had envisioned each royal trying to dance with Jinyoung while everyone else just stood and watched. With more people dancing, Mark hoped he would be able to disguise the fact that he couldn’t dance. 

None of the other royals were present yet, and a steward bustled up to the three of them and directed them to wait in another room. Mark took a seat in the drawing room as the steward had instructed, and he turned to ask the other princes a question about this, “Why do we have to wait here?” 

“So that they can properly introduce us,” Jackson replied. A few minutes later more of the competitors joined them. They sat and talked together, laughing and comparing stories about their home lives. It was fascinating to listen to, and Mark felt even more that theirs were lives were something he would never understand. They all seemed to sparkle in their outfits, each more spectacular than the next. 

Baekhyun was the last to arrive, and his black suit, which was shot through with silver threads, was breathtaking. At last the steward returned, and all seventeen of them followed him to the entrance of the ballroom. Mark strained to see into the room. And when he finally glimpsed Jinyoung, wearing his crown, his blue suit emblazoned with gold, and his heart skipped a beat. 

“Majesties, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present the prince and princess,” the steward announced. The room quieted, and all eyes turned toward them. “Prince Baekhyun of Ixania,” he said in a booming, authoritative voice, and Baekhyun sailed into the room, bowed, and then walked slowly down the length of the room before turning at the end. 

He called a few other royals Mark didn’t yet know, who mimicked what Baekhyun had done. “Prince BamBam of Thai.” BamBam walked in, bowed, and joined the others at the far end. “Prince Jackson of Eastland.” Jackson walked gracefully through into the room and Mark marveled at his posture. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed the prince had been sad just a few minutes before. 

One by one the others entered, until only Mark was left waiting in the drawing room. She stepped forward, and the steward announced, “Prince Mark.” Mark did his best to bow gracefully and glide to the far end of the room without tripping over himself. He noted the omission of a kingdom following his name, and he knew the others had too. The question of his lineage hung in the air around him and made him uncomfortable. Still, he couldn’t have expected the steward would announce him as Prince Mark of Cordinia. 

Mark knew he should just be grateful he had called him a prince at all. A moment later the king’s moved toward the center of the room. They were magnificent together, moving with a grace and ease that Mark could never hope to achieve. The musicians began to play. King Nickhun and King Wooyoung danced, spinning together around and around on the floor until Mark felt dizzy just watching them. The dance ended, and then the king’s invited others to join them as the music started for a new dance. Mark took a step back toward the wall as a wave of young royals descended upon the group. 

“What’s wrong?” BamBam asked as he noticed Mark slowly step away from everyone.

“I don’t know how to dance,” Mark whispered. 

“That’s okay; neither do I,” a smiling man said from behind, offering him his hand. “I am Count Taehyung.” 

“Prince Mark,” he replied. Mark took his hand, and Taehyung led him onto the dance floor. He lost track of how many times he stepped on his foot, but he was quick to notice that he was very kind and a much better dancer than he had let on. He just kept smiling and talking, never starting or making a comment that he was tripping all over him. 

The next two men Mark danced with weren’t as gracious, grimacing every time he stepped on one of their feet, but at least they didn’t say a word about it either. “You are going to leave some of them intact for the rest of us, aren’t you?” BamBam joked as they both sat out a dance.

“I don’t know. Depends on whether or not they get the warning and stay away.” Mark smiled

“Just do us all a favor and wait to dance with Jinyoung until the rest of us have had a turn,” BamBam said. 

Mark looked at him suspiciously, and BamBam just shrugged. “It isn’t every day a guy gets to dance with a prince, even if he is a prince as well.” 

Mark rolled his eyes at BamBam comment and decided to move the conversation along, “Who is that guy?” he asked, pointing to the one dancing with Jinyoung. He had skin so pale it almost seemed to glow, and his lovely face was crowned by silver white hair. 

“That’s Youngjae; he’s from Ars. They say his mother is a mermaid.” BamBam added conspiratorially. 

Mark couldn’t help but laugh. “A mermaid, seriously?” 

BamBam raised an eyebrow at him, “Seers and witches exist but mermaids don’t?”

Mark shrugged, BamBam had a point. “But you wanna know the something else?” Mark leaned to forward to hear more. “I hear Youngjae’s in love with a Lord from this kingdom.” 

“No way.” Mark gasped. 

“That’s what I heard.” BamBam shrugged

“If he’s in love with another man, then why is he here?” Mark asked.

“What are any of us doing here?” BamBam asked. “Maybe his parents forced him to join the competition to strengthen his kingdom’s alliances, or maybe Youngjae is trying to make his lover jealous.” 

“Isn’t anyone here for love?” Mark sighed under his breath. 

“Only you.” BamBam smiled.

“How do you know that?” Mark gasped. Was he that obvious?

BamBam rolled his eyes. “Please, it is so obvious, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone knew. Plus you practically confessed to me back at the garden.” He smirked

“If everyone knows then why don’t they all leave?” he asked while crossing his arms. 

BamBam patted Mark on the shoulder. “Like I said, some of us aren’t here by choice. Even still, though, Jinyoung is an excellent catch. He’s strong, kind, and handsome. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love him, but I’m sure I could learn to love him. Anyone could with a guy like him. Now smile—your prince is headed this way.” 

Like BamBam Jinyoung was walking towards him while Youngjae seemed to be going towards Jaebum. Odd. Mark looked back at Jinyoung as he held out his hand to Mark. He took it and followed him onto the dance floor. “I don’t know how to dance,” he admitted. 

“That’s okay—just move with me,” Jinyoung said, one hand holding his and the other on his waist. Mark looked down at his feet. “No,” he said. 

Mark looked back up at him. “What?” 

“Don’t look at our feet; look right here, in my eyes,” he said. 

“But how will I know which way to move?” Mark protested. 

Jinyoung smiled as his hand tightened around Mark waist, and his fingers pressed into his back until he stepped closer to him. “You’ll just know,” Jinyoung whispered in Mark’s ear. Mark gazed deep into his eyes, and when he began to move, he moved with him. Mark didn’t know if it was the subtle pressure changes in his fingers, or the movements of his eyes, but somehow Mark knew just which way to move while he was dancing with Jinyoung. 

They started slowly and then began to pick up speed until they were twirling around the room. Mark kept his eyes locked on Jinyoung’s, afraid that if he looked away, the moment would end, and the magic would be lost. “You have bewitched me,” Jinyoung whispered. 

Mark shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m the one under your spell.” 

“Then I hope it lasts forever,” Jinyoung replied. 

“Me too,” Mark breathed. The music stopped, and after a moment so did they. 

“I’ll send Coco to visit you again once I know what the next challenge is,” Jinyoung whispered

Mark leaned close to murmur. “I wish you would send yourself instead,” he sighed. 

Jinyoung smiled, “One day I just might.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments plz


	9. Chapter 9

“You can’t be serious. Is this some joke?” Jinyoung groaned, staring at his fathers. 

“We’re being very serious, Jinyoungie.” Wooyoung smiled. 

For some reason that smile the exact opposite, “The next test is to see who feels the most pain over the loss of a single pulled hair?” 

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” Wooyoung grinned as if that sentence made complete sense. 

Jinyoung sat down and massaged his temples. He was still wearing his clothes from the ball, and his feet were sore from having danced constantly for hours. He just wanted to send a message to Mark and then get some sleep. “Seriously, what are you and Father doing?” he asked. 

“Exactly what we said we would do. We’re looking for a wonderful, delicate, sensitive partner for you.” Nickhun sighed as if that was obvious.

“But it’s so stupid. I mean, would you really feel pain over the loss of a single hair?” Jinyoung frowned

Wooyoung shrugged. “Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.” Jinyoung had a feeling that his father was talking about something else but he just couldn’t figure out what it was. He thought about pleading with him again to end the whole contest but he knew it would be no use. Wooyoung was probably even more stubborn than Nickhun. “Don’t worry. If you’re meant to be with him, it will work out that way,” he smiled. 

“But why can’t I just be with him? Why must there be all of these games?” Jinyoung whined. Neither Wooyoung or Nickhun answered him, probably because he knew they had nothing new to say on the subject. Frustrated, Jinyoung stood to go. “Good night, Father’s.” 

“Sleep well, Jinyoungie.” They said together.

Jinyoung left and headed to his room and on the way there he met with with Jaebum, who was breathing heavily and had hickeys on his neck that wasn’t covered well by his shirt. “I’m glad someone is happy in their love life.” Jinyoung frowned as he stormed into his room.

Jaebum scoffed as he followed after Jinyoung and closed the door behind him, “Oh come on Jinyoung, you know that I’m in the same boat as you’re in.”

“Yes but yours is less complicated.” Jinyoung groaned as he flopped on his bed waking Coco up and she immediately started licking Jinyoung face before moving down on the floor.

“I know you’re not grumpy at me so you must be mad over something else. Is it your fathers?”” Jaebum asked leaning against his bedpost. 

Jinyoung lifted his head up and frowned at the other man, “No I’m mad because my fairy godmother didn’t give me a birthday present. Of course I’m angry with my fathers!” He shouted out

Jaebum held his hands up, “Yah don’t take it out on me.”

Jinyoung sighed as he sat up, “Sorry but I swear my father’s are now being annoying.”

“What happened?” Jaebum asked as he sat next to Jinyoung on the bed.

“They told me that next test if one of the candidates could feel pain from one of their hairs being pulled.” Jinyoung rolled his eyes as he said it.

Jaebum’s eye’s widened, “You can’t be serious.”

Jinyoung sighed, “Sadly I’m not.”  
Jaebum tested himself and see if he could feel pain over a single hair and as he thought he didn’t feel a thing, “I didn’t feel a thing and I can’t help but feel like Mark won’t feel a thing either. He’s a farm-boy his head must be strong enough to withstand the pain.”

Jinyoung groaned, “Probably but at least I can warn him so he knows what to expect.” He said as he searched for a piece of paper.

“I can’t help but wonder if that really is the test.” Jaebum said, “I mean it sounds so ridiculous and only a few of those royals would actually feel pain.”

Jinyoung shrugged, “I know but all we can do is hope that Mark passes.” Jaebum nodded and left the room. Jinyoung lit the candle on his writing desk and dipped his quill in the inkwell and began to write. As soon as the ink had dried, Jinyoung rolled up the paper and whistled. Coco, who had been sleeping at the foot of his bed, awoke and walked over to the desk. 

Jinyoung let the dog sniff the napkin that Mark had used at dinner. “Remember Mark, Coco? Remember going to see him last night?” Prince Jinyoung held out the paper, and Coco took it in her mouth. “Okay, girl, go find him!” The dog trotted out of the room, and Jinyoung put his head down on his desk. What was he, a prisoner? A prisoner who had to send secret messages via a dog? It made him sick, but he saw no other way out. 

Mark was waiting for Coco when she arrived, he took the letter from her with trembling hands and he lit the candle on his bedside table. My love. Only five more challenges. Tomorrow’s will be simple. All you must do is pretend to be in great pain when a single hair is plucked from your head. It’s absurd, I know, but for now we must play along. Yours, Jinyoung. 

Mark read the letter three times, just to be sure he understood. Seriously? To test himself Mark plucked a single hair from his head and he barely felt it. It was more of an annoyance than anything else. Mark sighed deeply. Tomorrow he needed to convince the others, and himself, that it was a lot more painful that he let on. “Thank you, Coco,” he whispered. 

Mark patted the dog on the head and then watched as she left the room. Mark lay down and tried to sleep, but thoughts of Jinyoung crowded his mind. His mind drifted to the dance they had shared. It had been so perfect. A perfect moment in an otherwise imperfect day. 

In the morning Mark woke well before BamBam and he dressed in silence and made his way downstairs, watching as servants cleaned and carried and made preparations for the day. Mark wanted desperately to help. For the first time in his life he felt useless, and he longed for a physical task that would take his mind off of everything that was happening.

The breakfast was a quiet, and he suspected everyone was exhausted from the previous evening’s events. The King’s made no announcement about the day’s challenge, but they told everyone that the steward would come get them when it was their turn, as he had the day before. Upstairs in their room Mark watched as BamBam do some needlework. The other prince tried to teach him a couple of stitches, but Mark was too distracted to pay very close attention. 

Finally, the steward came to their room, but this time he escorted out BamBam first. Mark had to wait only a few minutes before he returned, rubbing the back of his head absently. Then it was Mark’s turn to follow the steward, who led him not to the throne room but to the King’s chambers. Mark was overwhelmed by the splendor of it. The bed was monstrous, probably the size of his house. Rich red tapestries draped down the walls. A pair of matching chairs invited him to sit with their bright cushions. A writing table stood against one wall. There was another table with a white top ribboned with black streaks that was unlike anything Mark had ever seen. 

King Wooyoung rose when he entered, and Mark realized that for this test it would be Wooyoung alone testing the candidates. Mark was offered a chair, and he sat while the King Wooyoung made small talk about common topics. Then the king produced a beautiful brush with gold lacework on it. “This is the finest brush I have ever used,” he said. 

“It’s lovely,” Mark answered inspecting the brush, it was probably the most expensive brush he’s ever held in his life.

King Wooyoung signaled, and a maid came forward and took the brush from him. “Let’s see what it does for your hair,” he said. 

Mark sat still as the maid approached him with the brush. He felt the bristles touch his hair and stroke downward. He tensed, waiting. Finally, he felt a small twinge. Mark cried out and put his hand to his head. “Ouch!” Mark felt silly and weird, but he tried to contort his face with pain even as he wished he knew how to cry on demand. 

With each passing test Mark felt more like a fool. He remembered joking with Jinyoung about how a woman sensitive and delicate enough to please his parents couldn’t possibly have the strength to bear children. Thinking about his competition, Mark was certain that at least half of the delicate princes and princesses would die in childbirth, if they even survived the pregnancy. 

“Oh, have you been hurt?” King Wooyoung asked.

“Well, yes, it does hurt. I think she pulled a hair from my head.” Mark lied.

“I’m sorry, milord; it was very clumsy of me,” the maid said. The woman moved away and handed the brush back to the king. 

“I hope you will feel better shortly.” 

“I hope so as well,” Mark said through gritted teeth. He couldn’t believe Jinyoung father actually thought he was still in pain. 

“Perhaps you should go lie down.” The king suggested

“Thank you,” Mark said, standing up, he turned to the door and then forced himself to stop and turn back. Mark didn’t want the king to suspect that he’d known what the test had been, since it had not been revealed at breakfast. “But actually Your Majesty, it can wait. I want to take the second test now.” 

For just a moment Mark thought he saw the hint of a smirk on the older man’s face, but it quickly disappeared. “Don’t worry, my son. You already have.” 

“Did I pass?” Mark asked, pretending like he had idea what he had been testing on. 

King Wooyoung shook his head. “We’ll let you know later tonight.” 

Mark returned to his room and tried not to worry about all the things that he wanted to fret about. He glanced over at BamBam and noticed that the other boy looked pale. “Are you okay?”

“I have a headache,” BamBam said with a strained voice. 

Mark stared at him in disbelief. Could BamBam be faking it? Surely having a single hair pulled couldn’t actually have been that painful? “How come?”

“I don’t know. I get them sometimes; I never know why.” BamBam shrugged.

Mark relaxed slightly. It was just a case of bad timing. “How did you do in today’s test?” 

BamBam shook his head. “I’m still not quite sure what it was.” 

“It was strange,” Mark offered, without saying more. 

“As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think I’m going to feel like doing my own hair tonight.” BamBam sighed. 

Mark had no desire to try to duplicate one of the elaborate hairstyles he had seen at the castle during the last two days. “I can have your maids come and help in a little while.” 

“I’m sure they’d like that.” In the end BamBam servants came traipsing into the room, shooting haughty glances at Mark. They helped BamBam get dressed while Mark wrestled with his own garment. 

At last Dara approached him. “Can I help you?” she asked Mark. 

“No, I think I can manage,” Mark said, trying to figure out which part of the outfit went first. 

“I’m sure you can manage, but you shouldn’t have to.” Dara replied

Mark looked at the other girl. “I’m no better than you are,” he said. 

The maid shook her head. “You’re a prince. There are just some tasks you can’t do, or shouldn’t do,” she corrected herself. 

Mark gave up with a sigh. “Thank you,” he said as the girl helped him with his outfit.

“You’re welcome.” Dara smiled. At last both Mark and BamBam were dressed. Mark was wearing a white suit with silver trim. Staring in the mirror, he noticed how much more obvious his tanned skin was in contrast to the snowy white of the garment. He considered changing and then rolled his eyes in frustration. “I’m starting to think that all I ever do is eat and change clothes,” Mark complained. 

“Welcome to the life of a prince,” BamBam said with a tired smile. He was wearing a pale green suit that somehow seemed to emphasize the pallor of his skin. Even when he pinched his cheeks for color, it didn’t seem to help. 

Mark sighed as he turned back to the mirror. “Do you still have a headache?” 

“Yes but hopefully it will be gone by the morning.” BamBam smiled sadly.

When Mark entered the banquet hall, he was shocked to see that Baekhyun was already there, his head bandaged. “What happened?” Mark asked. 

“A clumsy maid pulled a hair from my head, and I have been in the most horrible pain ever since,” Baekhyun frowned. 

“You can’t be serious,” Mark said while raising an eyebrow. 

“I guess I’m just too sensitive, not that you would understand.” Baekhyun sighed dramatically. “If only I could be rough and coarse, like you,” he said, his voice sickly sweet.

“Oh, I’ll show you rough and coarse,” Mark hissed as he was about to lunging forward at Baekhyun however someone grabbed Mark by the shoulders. 

“No, Mark, don’t give him what he wants,” he heard BamBam beg. 

Mark glared at Baekhyun. “This isn’t over,” Mark said, his voice low enough that only the three of them could hear. 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and then strut off to his seat. BamBam pulled Mark into his seat and everyone was looking at Mark, he was shocked to see that Baekhyun was not the only one whose head was bandaged. Mark shook his head in disgust. It was bad enough that he had lied over the plucked hair causing him pain. With the rest of the contestants making such a fuss, it only made his job that much harder. 

“Nobody could really be wounded from having one hair pulled out, right?” Mark whispered to BamBam. 

The other prince shrugged, clearly more interested in keeping a quarrel from breaking out than on the niceties of the competition. “You need to calm down. Picking a fight with Baekhyun would be more than enough reason for them to send you home for not being sensitive or delicate enough to marry Prince Jinyoung.” 

BamBam was right, and Mark knew it. It didn’t stop him from wanting to dunk Baekhyun face into his soup bowl, though. “How can you be so calm?” Mark wondered

BamBam smiled widely, “I just think of all the stories I’m going to tell about Baekhyun and some of the others when I get home. They’ll be the greatest villains of all time, and they won’t even know it.” 

Across the table the boy with the fake teeth appeared to be in great distress, as he had bandages that wrapped all the way around his head. For a moment Mark contemplated the stories that would be told about him and her teeth and started to feel a bit better. Soon the remaining royals had assembled around the table. Mark looked expectantly toward the doorway, eager to see Jinyoung. He was, after all, the reason he was putting up with Baekhyun and the others like him. 

However neither Jinyoung or his parents or even Jaebum were anywhere to be seen, though. The steward strode to the head of the table and, after a brief consultation with one of the servants, drew the guests’ attention. “The king’s send their apologies. They will not be joining you tonight. One of their servants, Jiho, became ill early this morning and has since passed on. In light of this tragedy they did not feel it was appropriate to celebrate this evening. They do, however, wish for you to enjoy yourselves despite their absence.” 

Mark felt a little lightheaded, he hadn’t known Jiho well, but he had seemed a good man. His thoughts turned to his dead family and his current family creating a turmoil of emotions that caused tears to stung his eyes. He signaled to the steward, who came over. “Excuse me, please. I have to go,” Mark said. 

He nodded, and he stood up, wiping her eyes. A few other were also distraught. But the boy with the fake teeth said, “I don’t get it. It was only a servant; why are people so upset?” 

Mark rans towards the stairs. Back in his room he fell on her bed and began to cry. “Mark, are you all right?” he sat up to see Jinyoung standing in the doorway. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” Mark sniffed, wiping his tears. 

“I know, but I saw you run by looking really upset. Tell me what is troubling you.” Jinyoung frowned.

“I was so sad to hear that Jiho died and then I started to think about my own family.” Mark sighed

Jinyoung approached Mark until he was standing next to him. “If you want, I can send a messenger to your family so they know what’s going on.” 

Mark was bit his lip, “You would do that for me?” he asked, looking up at Jinyoung. 

“I would move heaven and earth for you,” he smiled but then it morphed into a frown. “I don’t like seeing you like this.” 

“I’m sorry. It’s just been a lot to take.” Mark pouted

“I didn’t mean the tears. I meant, like this,” Jinyoung said, indicating the room and his outfit. “It’s not you.” 

“No, it’s not,” Mark said miserably. “I’m not a prince; I’m a farm boy, and that’s what I want to be.” 

“Then why are you here?” Jinyoung asked, his eyes piercing his soul. 

Mark couldn’t lie to him. “I’m here because, as much as I want to be a farm boy, I want even more to be your husband.” 

Jinyoung reached out and grabbed Mark’s arms and pulled him to his chest. He slid his right hand up behind his head and then kissed him hard. Jinyoung held Mark so tightly Mark couldn’t have moved even if he had wanted to. The first time Jinyoung had kissed him, standing in the field, his lips had been soft, the kiss gentle. This time it was intense. The onslaught made him gasp and Mark wrapped his arms around his neck and clung to him. 

“Then be my husband, Mark. Come with me now, tonight. We’ll go to a priest and have him marry us. No more games, no more challenges, just you and me and what we want.” Mark couldn’t think. The room seemed to be spinning crazily as Jinyoung continued to kiss his lips and then began to move his way down to his throat. “Will you take me as your husband, Mark?” He whispered huskily to him.

Longing for him nearly overpowered him, but Mark managed to keep his sanity. “I will, but not like this. Not like thieves in the night. If I run away with you, I’ll never have your parents’ respect, and you will never regain your honor.” 

Jinyoung frowned, “I don’t care.”

“Maybe that’s true, but I care, and someday you will too.” Mark sighed. Jinyoung kissed him again and from deep inside of him Mark called upon strength he didn’t even know he had and stepped out of his embrace. “I love you Jinyoung, with all my heart, I really do. But for both of our sakes you need to leave right now.” 

Jinyoung stood, fists clenched at his sides and fire smoldering in his eyes, and Mark was sure he was going to refuse. After what seemed like eternity his shoulders slumped. Without saying another word he turned and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only it was that simple. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ^^


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally for to post this chapter, soooo sorry.

Jinyoung paced outside the castle and into the darkness, frustration flooding through him. He wished Mark had agreed to run away with him, but in his heart he knew that he was right. He didn’t know what games his parents were playing, but it looked as if he was going to have to play along for the time being. 

Jinyoung walked to the stables and spent some time grooming Peaches. The stallion leaned into the brush and made contented sounds. It was only a matter of time before he knew Jaebum would come. The man always seemed to next to him whenever he had a problem.

“Let me guess. You’re upset with Mark this time?” Jaebum asked and Jinyoung didn’t have to turn around to know the man was smirking.

Jinyoung huffed as he laid his forehead into the stallions neck, “What am I to do with him?” he asked. 

“Are you talking to me or Peaches?” Jaebum joked

“Jaebum!”

Jaebum laughed, “I’m just jesting, so what happened?”

“I asked Mark to run away with me and he refused.” Jinyoung groaned

“Smart guy” Jaebum hummed

“So you agree with his choice?” Jinyoung frowned as he faced his friend.

Jaebum crossed his arms, “Jinyoung, you know no one better than me wants nothing more than to run away with their beloved. But even though there are sacrifices we’ll make for them, there are some that mustn’t be crossed.” he stated

Jinyoung sighed, Jaebum was right. “I hate it when you get all scholarly on me.”

“Pretty sure that’s not a word but whatever” Jaebum shrugged as he left Jinyoung alone with Peaches. Once Jinyoung had finished grooming the horse, he gave Peaches a pat on the neck before heading inside. It was time to find out what the next challenge was so that he could warn Mark. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark was still standing staring at the door, when BamBam returned to the room. “Mark, is everything all right?” BamBam asked, Mark shook his head. “Is it because of Jiho?” 

“It’s a lot of things,” Mark sighed. “Jiho, my family, this contest.” 

“If you don’t mind my saying so,” BamBam began, “you’ve been wildly uncomfortable since you got here. If you want to win the prince, be true to who you are. If he cares for you, that’s what will impress him.” 

Mark closed his eyes and remembered the feeling of Jinyoung’s lips on his. “Unfortunately, it’s his parents I’m worried about impressing.” 

BamBam waved a hand. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m pretty sure they’re not as crazy as they appear to be.” 

Mark casted him a confused look, “What do you mean?”

BamBam hummed, “Well these tests all seem so ridiculous, however I think there’s something more going on than we know.” 

“Like a test within the test?” Mark questioned

“Exactly.” Mark walked over and fell back on his bed again with a groan. “Great, as if I didn’t have enough to worry about.” 

“I was trying to make you feel better,” BamBam pointed out. 

Mark instantly felt guilty during this entire competition BamBam been nothing but a friend to him even though they were rivals, “I’m sorry BamBam, it’s just this entire competition been stressing me.” He sighed

BamBam stroked Mark’s back, “It’s okay.”

As he laid on the bed, an idea occurred to Mark, and he sat up, “Did anyone ever announce who passed the test today?” 

BamBam shook his head and sat down beside Mark on the bed. “No, the steward said we would know in the morning. Several of us were sure there hadn’t even been a test. It turns out we each had an audience with King Wooyoung. He showed us a special hairbrush, his maid began to brush our hair, she yanked one of the hairs from our head, and then the king sent us on our way.” 

“Same thing happened to me. So, what does that mean, exactly?” Mark asked, anxious to keep his and Jinyoung secret. 

“I think they were testing to see who was injured by it.” BamBam guessed

“Oh like Baekhyun,” Mark pointed out. 

“Yes. When he started making such a big deal about it, I was pretty sure that the hair pulling was the test.” BamBam said

“Does anyone have any idea what to expect next?” Mark asked hopefully but BamBam shaked his head, “So what now?” He asked, more to himself than to BamBam. 

“There is nothing we can do except get some rest.” 

“I can’t sleep yet.” Mark sighed. “I think I’ll go for a walk in the garden.” 

“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning,” BamBam said as he began to changing his clothes.

Mark crossed to the armoire and took out the black cloak he had seen in it earlier. He draped the rich fabric around himself and left the room. Mark wasn’t completely sure where he was going, but he felt the need to be free of the castle walls. Out in the gardens Mark began to walk contemplatively, breathing in the cool night air, he wandered farther than he and BamBam had explored before. 

As silence stretched around him, Mark began to feel better. What has happened to me? he wondered. His life on the farm seemed so far away. A sudden splash interrupted the quiet. Curious, Mark wandered deeper into the gardens, looking for the source of the sound. A wall of hedges rose on his left, looming in the dark. Mark touched it and it was the outer wall of the great maze that would be one of the contests during the Festival. 

Mark had thought to enter the maze contest this year. Little had he known that he would be involved in a much more strenuous series of contests, to win not a ribbon but a husband. Mark heard the splashing again, a little ways to his right. He turned and headed toward the sound. A few steps further on Mark found a large fountain. Standing in the middle of it was Youngjae. 

“Hello,” Mark said quietly. 

Youngjae jumped and spun around, eyes wild, but when he saw it was Mark, he relaxed slightly. “Hello,” he answered tentatively. Mark moved closer. Youngjae shoes were on the ground near the fountain. And Youngjae stood in the middle of the pool, his pants folded up to his knees, “I live near the ocean so I miss the water,” Youngjae said, lifting his chin as if defying Mark. 

“I’ve never seen the ocean. What’s it like?” Mark wondered

“Like freedom,” Youngjae smiled, closing his eyes and spinning around. “Imagine standing in the surf and looking out and seeing only water. No land in sight. Just the blue of the ocean stretching to the horizon until it meets the blue of the sky.” 

“You make it sound wonderful,” Mark said. 

“That’s because it is.” Youngjae smiled

“Is your mother really a mermaid?” Mark asked.

Youngjae just smiled and stretched out his hand, “Join me.” Mark knew the proper thing to do would be to decline, but what had BamBam just said, about being true to who he really was? Who he really was really wanted to jump in the fountain. Mark kicked off his shoes, took off his cloak, folding up his pants, and climbed into the fountain, gasping as the cold water hit his calves. Youngjae clapped his hands as he was dancing and spinning. “Don’t be afraid to let your clothes get wet,” he said. 

“Well it’s not technically mine,” Mark said. 

“Even better!” Youngjae laughed. 

Mark couldn’t help but laugh too. “I don’t think I’m even a real prince,” he said. 

“Wonderful,” Youngjae said, throwing his arms toward the sky as he spun. 

“Up until a couple of days ago I lived on a farm,” Mark said, playing in the water as well. He didn’t know why he was telling Youngjae this but he couldn’t help but let it all out.

“That’s amazing. What is that like?” Youngjae asked and Mark could see that he was genuinely interested.

“I love it. Hard work, sunshine, simple food, no servants or fancy clothes that I can’t get wet,” Mark said, laughing harder as he danced in the fountain. 

“Then why are you even here?” Youngjae asked. 

“Because I was crazy enough to fall in love with a prince. How silly is that?” Mark sighed

Youngjae stopped spinning, and his face turned serious, “It’s not silly at all. Love is never silly. It is beautiful, terrible, unexpected, uplifting, heart shattering but it is anything but silly.” 

Mark blinked in surprise at the sudden transition. “You really are in love with a lord, aren’t you?” 

Youngjae shrugged, “Well it’s complicated,” then he smiled, “But that’s love!” As he splashed around in the fountain. Mark stared at Youngjae wondering how he could he be so positive when he has to be through all these trails. Youngjae saw Mark thinking hard and splash him. Mark jumped feeling the water on him, “Stop thinking, let’s play.” He smirked. Youngjae’s smile was infectious and Mark couldn’t help but smile back as he ran after Youngjae in the fountain.

An hour later Mark crept back into his room, his wet clothes heavy as he tried to hold his pants up from sagging. There was a candle burning on the desk, and BamBam was sitting up in a sleepwear staring at him. “BamBam, you’re awake,” Mark said in surprise, aware that something was wrong. 

BamBam held out a paper to him. “A dog came for you.” 

“I can explain,” Mark said quickly, taking the letter from him. 

“You don’t have to explain anything,” BamBam said. “You love him; he loves you. I think that’s great.” He smiled

Mark threw his arms around him. “Thank you so much.” 

BamBam laughed and pushed Mark away. “You didn’t tell me you were going swimming.” 

“Sorry! Next time I’ll take you with me.” Mark pulled off his soggy clothes and changed into his night clothes. “So, what did Coco’s letter have to say?” 

“Once I figured out it was for you, I didn’t read any further,” BamBam said. 

When he had finished changing, Mark opened the letter and read: My love. Tomorrow they are testing the sensitivity of your skin, particularly your feet. You will be asked to walk across grass. The intended result is that the blades of grass will cut your feet. There are some berries in the kitchen that you could use to stain the bottom of your feet so it would look like blood. Forever yours, Jinyoung. 

“How sensitive are the bottoms of your feet?” Mark asked, handing BamBam the letter. 

“Terribly sensitive. My father used to tickle them when I was a child, and I would just go crazy laughing. Why?” BamBam wondered

“For the challenge tomorrow we will be asked to walk barefoot over the grass in expectation that it will cut our feet.” Mark answered

BamBam wrinkled his nose, “Who would think up such a challenge?” 

“Jinyoung parents, it would seem.” Mark shaked his head

“That doesn’t seem right to me.” BamBam whined

“Me either, but what can we do?” Mark shrugged

“We can refuse,” BamBam suggested. 

Mark sighed. “You can, but I’m not willing to give up on marrying Jinyoung.” 

“Then you better find a way into the kitchen.” BamBam suggested as he scanned the letter. 

The next morning at breakfast the royal family was once again present. The two kings, and the prince all ate quickly, Mark noted, and soon Jinyoung and King Wooyoung excused themselves. 

Then King Nickhun stood and called for attention. “I apologize for our absence last night. We do, however, have the results of the second test. Four of you are now out of the running and may go or stay as you wish.” None of the prince or princess were people Mark knew. The first one bounced up from the table when his name was called, unable to hide a grin. The other three rose more slowly, faces solemn. Mark heaved a sigh of relief, he was still in the competition. “After breakfast the rest of you may assemble in the gardens,” the king announced before he, too, left the room. 

“We’re going to be able to see each other compete this time,” Jackson guessed. 

“What’s wrong, Youngjae?” BamBam asked. Mark looked at the boy with the silvery hair, who sat by BamBam. Youngjae’s brow was furrowed and he looked troubled. “Can someone explain to me what the last test was?” he asked. 

“You had to feel great pain if a single hair was pulled,” a girl named Nayeon said. 

Youngjae shook his head. “I don’t think that was it.” 

“Why not?” Mark asked. 

Youngjae looked at him. “I talked with the king like the rest of you, and his maid brushed my hair, but I never noticed him pulling a hair.” 

“Are you sure?” Mark asked sharply. 

“Yes,” Youngjae replied. “She brushed my hair for about five minutes, and I didn’t feel anything.” 

“There must have been some mistake then,” BamBam said slowly. 

“I don’t think there’s a mistake,” Youngjae said. “I think they don’t want us to know what the real tests are.” 

Mark glanced over at BamBam. “We were thinking the same thing last night,” he said. 

“This is ridiculous,” Jackson countered. “Why would they go to such lengths to hide what they were doing?” 

“Maybe so no one could cheat,” Mark said guiltily and BamBam patted his arms. 

“But how? I mean, none of us are likely to tell each other what we’ve discovered. We are all competing against each other. I mean, I think I was the first one to take the real gold ring test, and I didn’t tell any of you that the real gold rings were right, right, right, left,” Jackson said. 

“You mean right, left, left, right,” Mark corrected. 

“You’re both wrong. It was left, right, left, right,” Youngjae argued. 

“Actually, it was a trick test,” BamBam stated. “Every single gold ring was real.”

Mark looked sharply at him. “Really?” BamBam nodded.

“Is it possible that they changed it each time, so we couldn’t get the answer from each other?” Jackson asked. 

Mark shook his head. If that was true there would have been no way for Jinyoung to accurately predict how the rings would be when it came his turn. “How many of you have currency lessons or handle gold?” 

“Not me,” Jackson said. 

“Or me,” Youngjae answered. 

“You know I do,” BamBam said. 

Mark thought for a moment, “So you were the only one who could have possibly told the difference between the real and fake gold ring.” 

“What does it all mean?” Jackson questioned. 

“It means we have no idea what the real challenges are testing us on,” Mark whispered. There was silence for a moment as the four let that sink in. 

Jackson spoke first and sighed, “That changes everything,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked this ^^


	11. Chapter 11

Around them the others were finishing breakfast and getting up from the table. “Time to head outside,” Youngjae sighed. Mark stood up, taking a couple of berries from his plate as he did so. The others didn’t notice, and together they left the table and headed into the gardens. Mark showed BamBam the berries and offered him one but the other prince shook his head. 

Soon they were on a grassy expanse where the other girls, Jinyoung, his parents, the steward, and a few servants waited. “Prince and Princesses, for this challenge we will test the sensitivity of your skin. You will remove your shoes and walk barefoot across this expanse of grass,” the steward said. 

“To what end?” Youngjae asked. 

“We expect that the grass will cut your feet if they are delicate.” The steward replied and one of the princesses fainted. 

Youngjae crossed his arms over his chest. “I refuse.” 

“Are you afraid, my son?” King Wooyoung asked. 

“No, I am not. There is no point in participating, because I already know the outcome. I swim in the ocean at home. I walk on pebbles and rocks and sand. The grass will do nothing to my feet, and I know I will walk across uninjured. If you think that all true prince and princesses bleed easily, and are soft and weak, then it is best that I withdraw now.” Youngjae stated

Mark watched in fascination as the two king’s whispered together for a moment. King Nickhun turned back. “We respect your choice to decline the challenge but we ask that you respect our request that you stay at least until tomorrow.” Youngjae nodded and stepped back. 

Mark gazed at him with admiration for having spoken up. Still, Youngjae did not wish to win the competition and marry Jinyoung, so he had nothing to lose by refusing the challenge. “Who would like to go first?” the steward asked. 

BamBam stepped forward. “I will go.” 

“Are your feet also strong?” King Wooyoung asked. 

BamBam shook his head. “No, quite the opposite. I have never walked barefoot anywhere, and I sadly expect to be injured.” 

“You may proceed.” King Nickhun said. 

BamBam slipped off his shoes and began to walk across the grass with slow, pained steps. When he turned to walk back, Mark could see BamBam biting his lip. Mark ran to his friend and stopped him. Mark bent and picked him up as he would a sack of grain. “I can do it,” BamBam protested. 

“And you have done it,” Mark said, carrying him back. “The steward only said you had to walk across; he said nothing about walking back.” When they had returned to the cluster of prince and princesses, Mark set BamBam down gently. The bottoms of both of BamBam feet were actually bleeding. “Why did you do this to yourself when you don’t even want to win?” Mark whispered. 

BamBam smiled and whispered back, “To take the focus off of you and what you’re about to do.” A couple of servants rushed forward with bandages, and Mark left BamBam to their care. Mark stood and watched as several others crossed the grass. Several suffered some sort of injury, but none as severe as BamBam. When it was Jackson’s turn, Mark watched him take off his shoes and was stunned to see him scratch the bottom of his left foot with his fingernails. By the time Jackson came limping back, blood had oozed from the wound. Soon Mark and Baekhyun were the only ones left. 

Baekhyun went first, and he had barely gone two steps when he cried out and sank to the ground. Servants hurried forward to help him stand. “I can do it,” he said breathlessly. Baekhyun took several more steps and then collapsed, needing to be carried back. 

Mark took a deep breath. The berries were still in his hand he looked over at Jinyoung, who nodded encouragement. Then he looked at his parents and wondered what they possibly hoped to accomplish with such a test. Mark didn’t want to do it, it was ridiculous. He couldn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t any longer. 

Mark prepared to slip off his shoes and walk across the grass. He glanced over at BamBam and hesitated. The other boy had sacrificed so that Mark would have the chance to fake his own injury and pass the test. If he refused, then BamBam had injured himself for nothing. 

As people were looking over at Baekhyun, Mark bent down and smashed the berries in his hand onto the bottom of each foot and quickly standing upright. Once everyone’s attention was on him, he walked as calmly yet pretending to hiss in pain as he walked across the grass and back. Mark briefly displayed the bottom of his red stained feet and then hastily put back on his shoes.   
Mark met BamBam gaze, and the two shared a grim smile. 

Dinner that night was brief, as many of the royals just wanted to rest from the day’s ordeal. Three more of them, including the one who had fainted before she could walk across the grass, were put out of the competition. But to everyone’s surprise Youngjae was not one of them. This proved for Mark that the challenges were just an act and not the real test. Mark still had no idea what the real tests could be; all he knew was that ten prince and princesses and three tests were all that remained. 

Mark was ready with some table scraps for Coco when he padded into the room. “Good girl,” he whispered as he took the parchment from him. Coco eagerly gobbled down the food he presented for her. Mark sat down at the table, lit the candle, and began to read. Mark. Forgive me but I can’t find out anything about tomorrow’s test. Keep your eyes open and expect anything. I’ll try to help if I can. Yours always, Jinyoung.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark barely slept, tossing and turning all night. When he awoke, he couldn’t shake the fear that had weighed on his ming all night. This was only the fourth test of six, and he had no idea what it was, much less how to pass it. Jinyoung and his parents were absent at breakfast, which was considerably less elaborate than it had been other mornings. Each person had a bowl of stew set before her. The food was hot and bland. It reminded her of many stews that she had had at home, and Mark ate it hungrily. 

Around him, the others made faces as they nibbled at the food. “The carrots taste okay,” Jackson finally said. 

“You have carrots? Where?” BamBam asked, craning his head to see Jackson’s bowl. 

As breakfast came to an end, Mark couldn’t help but wonder why no one had mentioned anything about the next test. When a servant came to clear his dish, Mark asked where the steward was. The man gave him a shrug and an apologetic smile but said nothing. Mark glanced around and discovered that none of the servants would meet his eyes. 

“Something doesn’t seem right here,” he said, turning to BamBam and when he looked at him so noticed he looked pale, and sweat was beading on his forehead. 

“Something definitely doesn’t seem right here,” he repeated, eyes glassy. 

“Are you okay?” Mark asked in alarm. 

“I don’t think any of us are,” Jackson groaned. 

Mark glanced over and saw that he, too, looked sick. “I think I should have gone home yesterday morning,” Youngjae said through lips that trembled. 

Mark glanced up and down the table and saw that everyone looked terrible except for Baekhyun. “What’s wrong with them?” Mark asked him. 

Baekhyun frowned. “They ate the food idiot.”

“But so did I, and I’m fine.” Mark said confused

“Then you must be used to eating peasant food. I wouldn’t have served that to a dog.” Baekhyun said in disgust. Mark trembled with rage as he stared at the prince of Ixania, he glanced around, and there was no one in the room other than them and the sick prince and princesses. 

Mark rose from his seat, he could teach Baekhyun some manners, he could send the prince running from Caledonia. No one was watching, and he would never have a better opportunity. Mark approached Baekhyun, clenching his fists at his side. However before he could strike at Baekhyun, a sobbing sound distracted Mark. 

One of the prince and princesses was on her hands and knees, wincing in pain. There were still no servants in sight. “We have to help them,” Mark said, turning back to Baekhyun but he was staring at the stew still in front of him. “Are you listening to me?” Mark asked. “They’re sick; we have to help them.” 

“The food made them sick,” Baekhyun said in a monotone. “It is commoners food. Their delicate stomachs can’t handle it.” 

“Then we need to help them.” Mark argued 

“You idiot, you don’t understand,” Baekhyun said, looking up at Mark with slightly glazed eyes. “This is the test.” Baekhyun grabbed his bowl and poured it into his mouth. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Mark cried, trying to snatch the bowl away from him.

Baekhyun twisted himself so Mark couldn’t reach the bowl, and a moment later he set the nearly empty bowl on the table. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Baekhyun groaned. 

Mark frowned at him “The stew couldn’t have hit your stomach yet,” he protested. 

“Not that, you idiot. The taste,” Baekhyun said before sliding onto the floor in distress. 

Mark stared at Baekhyun in disbelief, then turned his attention to the others in the banquet hall. Several royal clutched their stomachs in pain, a couple other were crying, and at least one had passed out in their chair. And despite everything Mark had thought and felt and feared, he knew then that he might dress like them, and even act like them, but he would never truly be one of them. 

Mark turned and hurried toward the kitchen and his arrival there stopped all the servants in their tracks. Mark grabbed the woman who seemed to be in charge, noting that she wouldn’t meet his eyes either. They all knew the food would hurt the royal, he realized. “Please help me. I need something to soothe the royal’s stomachs.” He said begging the woman, “There’s a root my doctor sometimes uses.” Mark remembered the root from when Yugyeom was sick and Mr. Jinwoon used it to help him. Before Mark could begin to describe it, one of the other cooks handed his a small bowl. Inside were cuttings of the plant he needed. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m also going to need towels and water.” 

A few of the servants started to gather supplies at Mark’s request, as he dashed back to the hall. Kneeling down beside the first person to have gotten sick, Mark said, “Look at me,” shaking his shoulder. The boy did as he was told and Mark saw his eyes were wide in fear, and he was sweating and shaking uncontrollably. “How much did you eat?” 

“Didn’t eat that much,” he mumbled. 

“Okay, good. Have this anyway.” The boy swallowed the piece of the root, and then Mark signaled to one of the servants that had followed him from the kitchen. The woman scurried over, eyes wide. “I want you to help him get cleaned up, and then move him somewhere and make him more comfortable. I don’t think you should try taking him to her room yet; he looks too weak to make it up the stairs. Do you understand?” 

The servant nodded. “Yes, milord.” 

Mark then moved over to Baekhyun, who was groaning on the floor. As much as he would've liked to leave the prince like that he knew he should, “Baekhyun, eat this,” Mark said, handing him a bit of the root. Baekhyun groaned and then slowly put it in his mouth and began chewing. Mark stood up and walked over to one of the boys from the kitchen. He handed him half a dozen clippings from the plant. “Go to all the royal on that side of the table; make sure each one of them eats one of these.” 

“Yes,” he said, moving toward Jackson. Mark found BamBam, who looked worse than many of the others. His friend’s skin was even paler than usual, and he was sweating and gasping as though he were having trouble breathing. Mark was able to help him eat the root. Then he moved on to help the others.

A minute later Youngjae staggered up to Mark. “Go lie down,” he ordered. 

“No, I’m good. I want to help.” Mark looked at him for a moment; of all the group Youngjae seemed to have the strongest stomach. 

“Go and see to BamBam. I’m really worried about him,” Mark revealed, he handed him the last piece of root. “He’s already had one, but-” 

“I understand,” Youngjae said before running off to BamBam. Mark paused to look over the situation. Of the nine royals who were sick three, including Baekhyun, had been moved to makeshift beds on the far side of the hall. Four others, including Jackson, were still in the throes of being ill. He could hear him wailing about never eating carrots again. Youngjae was shaky but was caring for BamBam, who seemed to have passed out from the pain in him stomach. Mark shook his head. Poor BamBam. He was undoubtedly the most sensitive prince in the room, certainly the one with the worst luck. 

Mark felt a wave of fear wash over him. If the grass had made BamBam feet bleed, could the stew do permanent damage or even kill him? It seemed ridiculous, but before meeting BamBam there had been a lot of things he found unbelievable that had been proved true. As much as Mark wanted to soothe his friend, he realized there was nothing he could do for BamBam that Youngjae was not already doing. 

Mark turned and walked to the far end of the room to check on the three royals recuperating there. “How are they?” he asked the woman overseeing the group. 

“They seem m uch better. Should I give them a little bread or something to eat?” The woman asked

Mark shook his head, “Tell everybody to make sure they don’t eat anything for at least a couple of hours until their stomachs have settled.” Baekhyun and a girl were lying quietly, eyes closed and faces pale. Another girl was weeping openly, and Mark knelt beside her and put his hand on her back. “Is there anything I can do for you?” Mark asked. 

“I just want to go home.” The girl started to cry and Mark didn’t know what to say, so he just stayed with her for a couple of minutes, rubbing her back and trying to quiet her. Finally, the girl’s sobbing faded. Mark wished he could go home and hold his mother to comfort him. He sighed and finally went to check on the others who were still sick. 

They were doing better except for BamBam. At least they had managed to wake him. “Jackson, how are you doing?” Mark asked. 

“I feel like I want to die,” Jackson moaned. 

“That’s horrible!” Mark gasped,

“Actually, it’s an improvement. A couple of minutes ago I thought I had died,” Jackson groaned, coughing. Mark patted Jackson on the shoulder. Two hours later everyone was starting to feel better. All the royals all were worn out, disheveled, but no longer violently ill. Even BamBam seemed to be doing better. 

Mark finally took a moment to sit down and wipe the sweat from his forehead. Although the food hadn’t made him sick, taking care of the others had exhausted him. What he wanted most was to take a bath and to get out into the fresh air. While Mark contemplated taking a short walk outside while everyone were stable, Jaebum came in the room.

He glanced around the hall, casting a worried glance at Youngjae before then made his way over to Mark. “How is everyone?” he asked him. 

Mark grimaced. “Not well, but improving. It seems that the stomach of these royals are very sensitive.” 

Jaebum sighed “Sadly it would seem that’s one of the qualities the kings are looking for.” 

Mark frowned at him, “Some might think these tests funny, but these people are getting hurt. This needs to stop.” 

Jaebum sighed again before leaning down to whisper in Mark’s ear’s, “You know more than I that hate this stupid contest but I’m only a lord and Jinyoung’s knight. This contest is out of my hands, Mark.” 

Mark stood up as he didn’t want to engage in any more conversation for fear he would get angry. That would surely get him kicked out of the castle, but he was pretty sure that was a certainty anyway. Mark glanced over his shoulder and restrained himself, though, when he saw the royal family enter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this ^^


	12. Chapter 12

As the royal family entered in, King Wooyoung and King Nickhun had a kerchief covering their nose and mouth and even Jinyoung, upon seeing the sick princes and princesses and disarray of the room, looked slightly ill. A servant scurried over to them and he whispered a few words Mark couldn’t hear, and then the king nodded. 

“Our apologies everyone. It seems you have been unfortunately served some rather unwholesome food,” King Wooyoung began. Mark glared as he crossed his arms. The King made it sound like an accident, when it so clearly had not been.“In light of the current situation I think it only fair to ask each of you a question. Do you want to continue on with the tests or withdraw?” 

There was murmuring amongst all of them as the implication of his words sank in. The king was giving them a choice: quit the field of competition or continue on and risk the consequences. Given that they had been intentionally fed food that made them ill, there was nothing to make them believe that continuing in the competition would be a safe course of action. What would the next two tests bring? Mark glanced at BamBam. The other boy had been so sick Mark had actually worried for his life. How could he trust that the final two tests wouldn’t get someone killed? 

King Nickhun turned toward Baekhyun, who was nearest him. “Prince Baekhyun, do you withdraw or do you continue?” 

“I will continue,” Baekhyun said. 

“Princess Momo?” 

“Withdraw.” 

Again there was murmuring from the others. “Princess Jeongyeon?” 

“Withdraw.” 

“Prince Jackson?” King Wooyoung asked. 

“I will continue,” Jackson said with a shaky voice. 

“Princess Jimin?” 

“Continue.” 

“Princess Jennie?” 

“Continue.” 

“Prince Youngjae?” 

Youngjae stood up and bowed. “I choose to withdraw.” Mark stared at him, he knew Youngjae didn’t want to win, but it still surprised him that he had withdrawn. 

“Princess Hani?” 

“Withdraw.” 

“Prince BamBam?” 

“I wish to withdraw,” BamBam croaked. 

“Prince Mark?” 

Mark bit his lip, he had not come so far or endured this much not to continue, no matter the cost. “I will continue,” he said. 

King Nickhun and King Wooyoung nodded “Very well. Prince Baekhyun, Jackson, and Mark and Princesses Jennie, Jimin will continue on to the next test. The rest of you may leave if you like, but you are certainly welcome to stay and observe the proceedings.” King Wooyoung said.

Mark looked at Jinyoung and realized that he was just as upset by what had happened as he was. Mark gave him a slight nod and hoped that he knew he didn’t blame him. Servants began to help the prince and princesses to their feet and to their rooms. Mark joined Youngjae, BamBam, and Jackson. 

Mark noticed that Youngjae pale skin was flushed a dark, angry red, his eyes flashed as he spoke, “This is intolerable. I participated in their little games, but no more. The king’s of Caledonia should just be grateful I am not taking this poisoning as a declaration of war. It will, however, be many years before the people of Ars consider an alliance with Caledonia.”

“It is in poor taste given that their allies were assassinated,” BamBam sighed before giving Mark an apologetic look. 

“Although it would have served Ixania right if Baekhyun had died,” Jackson muttered. 

“I can’t believe you withdrew,” Mark said to BamBam. 

“Sure you can,” BamBam smiled. “Because you know deep down that sooner or later one of these insane tests would have killed me. Plus I have someone in my heart and Prince Jinyoung would never fill that role.” He said dreamily. Mark smiled knowing he was talking about his brother, however it surprised him he was still thinking about Yugyeom. 

“You are amazingly fragile,” Youngjae commented. 

BamBam sighed deeply, “I blame my parents.” 

“I want to withdraw, but I can’t,” Jackson groaned. “But there is still danger that my uncle will try to overthrow me and claim the throne for himself. I need an alliance with Caledonia. What about you, though?” Jackson asked Mark. 

Youngjae snorted as he rolled his eyes. “There’s no way he’s going to withdraw, he’s in love with Jinyoung.” 

Jackson’s eyes widened. “I had no idea, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; he is incredibly desirable, not just because of his position but because of his character.” Jackson bit her lip. “You have been very kind, and I respect your feelings for the prince, but I won’t withdraw.” 

“It’s okay,” Mark shrugged. “Besides, we were competitors first, friends second. And whatever happens here, I hope that the latter can still be true.” 

“Definitely” Jackson smiled moving to hug Mark.

“We can be sure that Baekhyun will never give up, he wants the throne too badly. Even if he could be dissuaded, his parents would still push him.” BamBam said. 

“Does anyone know much about Jimin or Jennie?” Youngjae asked. 

They all shook their heads. “I wish there was some way to get them to drop out,” Jackson said. 

Youngjae sighed, “Well, I’d love to continue this discussion, but could we please do it out in the fresh air?” 

Mark smiled. “I was thinking something similar.” 

“I could use a bath,” BamBam sighed. 

“Well, if you’re not afraid of a little cold water, I’ve got a great idea,” Youngjae smiled mischievously. 

“You aren’t serious!” Mark laughed. 

“Watch me. After that stunt they’ll be lucky if I only bathe in the fountain,” Youngjae said haughtily. 

“What are the two of you talking about?” Jackson asked confused. 

Youngjae held out a hand to Jackson as Mark helped BamBam stand. “Come with us and find out.”

~~~~~~~~~

Jinyoung and Jaebum was strolling through the garden complaining about the latest test when they found them all in the fountain. BamBam was sitting on the side with only his feet dangling in the water while Youngjae had submerged himself entirely, and Mark and Jackson were splashing each other and laughing. 

“What are you doing?” Jinyoung asked in a shocked voice. 

“Celebrating,” BamBam answered. 

“Celebrating what?” Jaebum asked confused

“That BamBam and I are no longer in the competition,” Youngjae said, surfacing and spitting water out of his mouth like the fish that topped the fountain. Mark noticed that Jaebum looked fondly at Youngjae.

“Well, two of you are still in the competition, so make sure you don’t let my parents catch you,” Jinyoung warned. 

“I think Prince Jinyoung is being too serious,” Youngjae smiled. “What do you think?” 

“Oh yes, definitely too serious,” BamBam laughed. Mark hadn’t felt so free since leaving the farm. He had been so focused on winning he’d forgotten to enjoy life along the way. Mark took careful aim with Youngjae and BamBam and then splashed Jinyoung. 

“YAH Youngjae! Mark! BamBam!” He yelped and jumped away from the fountain’s edge. Mark started laughing and wasn’t sure he’d ever stop. All the pressure of the last few days seemed to slip away. 

“Okay, all this excitement is a little too much for BamBam,” Youngjae said with a grin. “Come on, let’s go change into clean, dry clothes.” 

BamBam rolled his eyes. “I have enough people telling me what to do,” he protested. Still, he stood up, retrieved his shoes, and started walking with Youngjae toward the castle and Jaebum followed after them.

Jackson looked suddenly uncomfortable, “I think I’ll go with them,” he said, splashing out of the pool. “We’ve already had too much sun and are sure to be burnt.” 

“That just leaves you and it would seem I would have to chase you out of this fountain,” Jinyoung said with a smile. 

“You’ll have to catch me first,” Mark smiled, he splashed him again, and to his surprise Jinyoung jumped into the fountain. Mark squealed which he swears was manly and backed away, trying to splash water in his face. He chased after Jinyoung, water spraying around him, his boots slowing him down. He finally dashed straight through the cascading water tumbling from the fish sculpture and finally caught Mark. 

The laughter died on his lips and Jinyoung leaned in and kissed him. Mark put his arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around Mark’s waist. He lifted him up into the air, and for a moment the world seemed to fade away. There were only the two of them and the kiss that he wanted to last forever. How long it did last, he didn’t know. 

“I love you,” Jinyoung whispered as he pulled away and Mark’s heart beat quickly. “I can’t believe how much you’re putting up with for me.” 

“So are the others.” Mark blushed.

“No, they’re doing it for their parents or for their kingdoms and the alliance they hope to gain. But you, you’re doing this just for me. Why?” 

“I love you too,” Mark answered. “I don’t care who knows it or what I have to do to prove it.” 

Jinyoung kissed Mark’s cheek, “You have proved it a hundred times over. It should be me proving my love to you,” he breathed. 

“And how would you prove this love?” Mark asked. 

“I would do anything for you. I would swim across an ocean to find you. I would walk through fire to be with you. I would sacrifice my life for your happiness.” Jinyoung said passionately. 

Mark cheeks pinked, “I think I’d settle for another kiss,” he smiled. 

“You shall have all you could ever want,” Jinyoung said, before kissing him again. When he pulled away again, he said, “You’re shivering.” 

“Because of you.” Mark smirked

Jinyoung snorted. “I wish that were true however I believe the winter and the water have more to do with it than I do. You should go inside and change.” 

“I don’t want this moment to end,” Mark frowned, “What if it’s our last?” 

“Mark, it is only our first.” 

“Promise me.” Mark whispered 

“I promise you. Whatever it takes, whatever I must do, we will be together, always.” Jinyoung helped Mark out of the fountain and he pulled on his shoes. 

“Good because I could not bear it if you married Baekhyun,” Mark admitted, staring at him.

“Whatever game my parents are playing we have to trust that that means something since you are still here.” Jinyoung stated, “I swear to you Mark, nothing is going to come between us, do you understand me?” Mark nodded his head slowly, “Well, you better get inside quick; you’re getting a chill.” 

Mark nodded again and hurried back toward the warmth and safety of the room he shared with BamBam. Jinyoung was right—the wind that was blowing and the cold water had conspired to give him a chill. But deep in the back of his mind he knew it wasn’t cold, or love, that made him shiver. It was the fear that he might lose. 

Unbeknownst to the two, a woman had been watching them within the shadows.

In the room, BamBam seemed happy, sipping a hot beverage, curled up in a chair, while he and Jackson listened to Youngjae telling his stories of Ars, when Mark arrived back at their room. “You simply must come to visit me,” Youngjae urged. “We could have wonderful adventures.” 

BamBam frowned. “My parents don’t approve of adventures.” 

“Then we won’t tell them we’re having adventures. You can come for my wedding.” Youngjae grinned

“The lord?” Jackson asked in surprise. 

“I think you mean Lord Jaebum” Mark grinned. 

Jackson and BamBam gasped, “Seriously? Lord Jaebum? Prince Jinyoung’s knight Jaebum?” BamBam said in surprise. 

Youngjae nodded happily with a sigh. Mark took off his wet clothes and began changing into his pajamas. “How can you be engaged already?” Jackson asked and Mark was relieved to talk about something that didn’t involve Jinyoung or Baekhyun.

“Simple,” Youngjae smiled. “My parents agreed that if I came home without a husband, I could marry Jaebum. It’s a good match, not as strong as one with Caledonia would have been, but it is suitable.” 

“Congratulations,” Mark smiled. 

BamBam turned to look at Mark, “What’s wrong?” He asked. “Didn’t things go well with Jinyoung?” 

Mark couldn’t hide his expression of surprise. It was uncanny how quickly BamBam could pick up on his moods. “Jinyoung was wonderful. But now here I am again, and all the uncertainty is back and I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” Mark admitted, not yet ready to say more. 

Jackson moved to rub his back, “As long as it takes.” 

“Would you like us to poison Baekhyun for real?” Youngjae asked, a little too eagerly. 

“No,” Mark snorted as he shaked his head. “But thanks for the offer. Are you two going to be leaving soon?” He asked, suddenly realizing just how much he would miss them both. 

“No, we plan to stay to see you win your prince,” BamBam said. 

“We have to stay just in case you decide to change your mind about poisoning Baekhyun,” Youngjae added with a glint in his eye. 

“Remind me never to eat anything you’ve prepared,” Jackson laughed and Mark laughed along with him. 

Youngjae grinned. “You’re fairly safe. I’ve never made a meal before so I wouldn’t know where to begin.” 

“You know, I’ve been trying to understand what these challenges are really testing,” BamBam said. “I think I figured out the last one.” 

“It was testing who was stupid enough to risk getting seriously injured by continuing on?” Jackson asked with a sigh. 

“No,” BamBam snorted.

“So, what was it testing?” Youngjae asked more seriously. 

“I think it was important that we were each allowed to choose whether or not to continue. It’s almost like our ability to persevere in the face of danger and difficulty was being observed.” 

“Then you and I failed,” Youngjae shrugged. 

“Would they test something like that?” Mark asked. It must be difficult to be a ruler, but he had no basis for comparison. His parents, the people in his village, even he himself never had any choice but to persevere. If you didn’t persevere, you didn’t eat, you didn’t survive. 

Youngjae looked at him curiously, “Of course they would. Being a king is hard work. You have to put the entire kingdom before yourself. You have to push yourself to work long and hard, making sure complaints are heard and resolved, keeping the peace, protecting against invasion, figuring out year after year how to protect, feed, and shelter your subjects.”

“Also” BamBam added, “And when a ruler has a bad day, they can’t just go to bed and pray for the next. They needs to work through their problems, face them at that moment. Lives are at stake with every decision, every breath.”

“I’m sure Jinyoung parents want to know that whoever they choose for their son will have the strength, the fortitude to be by his side. To keep going no matter what the cost, the personal risk—that is what we do.” Youngjae said.

“Look at me for example” Jackson sighed, "I knows my uncle is going to try to kill me so that I can be king. A normal person might run away, or let him have the throne but a ruler can’t run, and I can’t back down. I'm going to stay and fight for the good of my kingdom. In the end it might cost me my life, but I already know that, and I’m going to perseveres anyway.” Jackson stated.

Tears began to stream down Mark’s cheeks as he fiercely hugged Jackson. He couldn’t imagine being in Jackson’s position, no one would want to kill a farmer’s son, “How do you do it?” Mark asked. 

Jackson muttered, “I does it because I have to,” he said as he hugged Mark back, tight. 

Jackson shoulders began to shake, and Mark realized he was crying as well. “I promise I will do anything I can to help you,” Mark said. It wasn’t much, but it was all he had to give.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading ^^


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning Mark waited anxiously with Jackson, Baekhyun, Jennie, and Jimin in a small room in the castle. He had no idea what the next challenge was to be and he had waited up half the night, but Coco had never come with a message for him. 

Finally, King Nickhun entered, alone. “Good morning,” he greeted them. 

“Good morning,” Mark answered with the others. 

“One of the most priceless things a prince or a princess has is their beauty,” the king began. “Although for some of us men we are warriors we still have to be just as beautiful as a princess. Meaning it would horrible if your skin was marred so here is the fifth test. You will each put your hand out one of these windows and leave it there for a quarter of an hour. We will then check to see which of you have burned skin.” Jimin and Jackson gasped, and Baekhyun groaned.

“I can’t,” Jennie said through pursed lips. 

“But you must, or forfeit,” the king said. 

Jennie shook her head. “I can’t. I won’t. I’m going home.” 

“You may go,” the king said, standing aside to let Jennie pass. Mark stared after her. Was it really so much worse than everything that had gone before? He couldn’t believe it. “You may begin,” King Nickhun said. Each of them moved to a window and put their hand out into the bright sunlight. Fifteen minutes later they were allowed to pull their hands back inside. Then they followed the king to another room, one without windows. “You may wait in here,” the king said. “In an hour I will return to check your hands.” 

King Nickhun left, and Mark took one of the chairs, staring glumly at his hand, he couldn’t sit still, though, and began to pace. Even in the dim candlelight Mark could see the sunburns on the others hands. How can I make my hand look burned when it’s not? he wondered. There was nothing in the room to stain it red or pink. Mark continued to pace, turning the notion over in his mind. 

Maybe I should stop worrying about the sunburn and focus on figuring out what the real test is. Mark thought of everything BamBam had said about the tests behind the challenges. Yesterday had been about perseverance. From what the king had said, a royal would consider it terrible to get a sunburn. Why? Because they think it mars their beauty. So, then, why allow it to happen? Because they want to win. And what are they proving? Mark had to win; he was so close to the end of the contest, and the memory of Jinyoung lips on his and their connection spurred him on. 

All he cared about was the fact that he loved Jinyoung and he loved him as well and Mark had to try. Jinyoung had been so passionate when they kissed; what had Jinyoung said about proving his love? Could the prince and princess risking their beauty prove something to the kings? 

Then, suddenly, something Jinyoung had said came to him: I would sacrifice my life for your happiness. Mark stopped pacing. That was it! The Kings wanted to know if they would sacrifice their beauty to win Jinyoung. Sacrifice. That was what it all came down to. Rulers had to sacrifice their own desires. Mark glanced over at Jackson, sometimes they had to sacrifice their own lives. If that was it, the others had already sacrificed; they had burned their hands for the test. But his hand wasn’t burned. It couldn’t have sunburned with such little exposure to the sun. 

How can I prove that I am willing to make sacrifices to be with Jinyoung? What else had Jinyoung said? Mark gasped as he remembered: I would walk through fire to be with you. Mark knew what he had to do. He glanced around the room to make sure that no one was watching him. The other three were all preoccupied with watching the reddening of their skin and were paying him no mind. Mark walked over to a writing table where one of the few candles that illuminated the room sat and he put his back to the others so that they couldn’t see what he was doing. 

Mark gritted his teeth, then thrust his hand into the flame. The pain seared through him and Mark wanted to jerk his hand away, but he forced himself to hold it for a moment. Mark finally pulled it out of the flame and stared down at the angry red of the skin. He collapsed onto a chair and tried not to whimper. King Nickhun returned with King Wooyoung, and Jinyoung. They led the royals out of the dark room and to the great hall and Baekhyun, Jackson, and Jimin presented their burned hands in turn. 

Finally, Mark presented his hand, which had begun to blister. “What have you done to yourself?” Jinyoung exclaimed when he saw it. 

Mark gave him a tight smile. “Only what you would do for me.” 

“I’ll have someone come to your room to look at that,” King Wooyoung said, giving Mark a concerned look. 

“Thank you, Majesty.” Mark bowed

“The four of you shall continue on to the final challenge,” King Nickhun said. 

Mark made it to his room before the tears came. BamBam exclaimed in despair over his injured hand. “This was stupid; there had to have been something else you could have done,” BamBam gasped. 

Mark shook his head. “I sacrificed. That’s what was required.” 

“Jinyoung wouldn’t have wanted you to hurt yourself, though. Why did you leave your hand in the fire for so long?” BamBam frowned.

“I had to be sure.” Mark sighed. A minute later an older gentleman arrived and put a poultice on his hand, which helped some of the heat. 

Once he had left, BamBam glared at him. “You know the goal is to marry the prince, right?” He said. 

Mark was slowly getting irritated, “Yes, what’s your point?” 

“You can’t marry him if you’re dead.” BamBam frowned but slowly it softened, “Just promise me you won’t do something stupid tomorrow.” 

“I would like to promise that,” Mark muttered and then he yawned. “All I can promise at the moment, though, is that I’m going to bed.” As he drifted off to sleep, however, he knew that BamBam was right to be worried. The tests were becoming harder, and there was no telling what he’d have to do next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaebum sighed as he watched his friend paced back and forth in his room, “Can you believe him? He actually burned his hand? What the hell was he thinking?!” Jinyoung complained

“That he has to win so he did what he thought was necessary?” Jaebum answered as if he thought it was obvious.

“Jaebum, he could’ve seriously hurt himself or worse. I can’t marry a corpse!” Jinyoung said looking frustrated.

“Well I know a witch who could bring Mark back to life but he won’t look the same and probably not smell the same as well.” Jaebum grimaced

Jinyoung frowned, “Jaebum this isn’t a joke. Mark is risking his life for me and I can do is offer up promises! I want to so much more for him but I can’t do anything.” Jinyoung flopped on his bed and placed his hands on his head.

Jaebum moved to sit next to him, “You and I both know that’s not true, Jinyoungie.”

Jinyoung sighed, “I know but that’s how I feel.”

Jaebum patted Jinyoung back till an idea came to him, “How about you send a letter to Mark?” He suggested and Jinyoung nodded as he moved to his desk to start the letter. Jaebum sighed as he watched as he also wished to help the couple find their way to be together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark woke to feel Coco licking his uninjured hand. The room was pitch-dark, and Mark sat up slowly, lit the candle by his bed, and took the scroll from Coco. My Beloved, I was horrified to see what you had done to yourself on my behalf. My love, I am not worth injuring yourself. Please do not do something so foolish again. I will find some way for us to be together, no matter the cost. Yours always, Jinyoung. 

Mark reread the letter twice. No mention of the final test. He sighed knowing that most likely his parents are keeping a secret even from him so Mark could only hope it’s not as bad. Mark scratched Coco ears before blowing out the candle and falling back asleep. The next day Mark was surprised to discover that more people were arriving at the castle. Rows and rows of coaches pulled up outside, and he watched out the window as nobles from several different countries arrived. 

Mark could see some of the royals who had chosen to stay despite no longer being in the competition greeting friends and relatives. Even if they hadn’t won, it seemed everyone was excited. He thought back to his own feelings of excitement when he had first heard there would be a royal wedding. Apparently, that was one feeling peasant and noble shared alike. How long ago that moment seemed, and now here he was in the castle, doing everything he could to make sure the royal wedding would be his wedding. 

“Who are all those people?” BamBam asked, coming to stand next to him. 

“I think they are here to see the final challenge and participate in the Festival. Several people from Jackson’s and Jimin’s kingdoms have arrived,” Mark said, pointing to two tight little clusters. Jimin was embracing people who looked to be family members while Jackson was greeting his guests more formally, and Mark remembered with a pang that he had lost both his parents. Mark wondered which of the men standing near him was his villainous uncle, or if he had decided to stay home and plot against him. Mark shivered. 

“Who is that group?” BamBam asked, pointing to a large cluster of people who stood apart from the rest. 

“Baekhyun parents—and it looks like every living relative he has is with them,” Mark said, overcome with a wave of sadness, he dearly wished he could be greeting his own parents. 

“How’s your hand?” BamBam asked

“It hurts a lot,” Mark admitted as he rubbed it lightly.  
~~~~~~~~~~

The morning passed without a mention of the final test. With the castle bursting with even more people, it seemed that there was nowhere to go to have some solitude. Mark escaped to the garden, where he spent several hours talking with BamBam and Youngjae. They had asked Jackson to join them, but he had looked miserable following the arrival of the nobles from his country and seemed to want to be left alone. 

The boys moved away from the window going back to their room however Mark noticed dark clouds slowly coming towards the castle. Was a storm coming?

When dinnertime came, the great hall was crowded with all the newcomers. Mark was surprised when a steward bade him sit with Baekhyun, Jackson, and Jimin at the end of the table closest to Jinyoung and his parents. Mark looked regretfully at his usual seat next to BamBam. He wasn’t excited to be seated next to Baekhyun. Mark became anxious as the meal progressed and still nothing was said about the final test, he found herself moving his food around on his plate instead of eating and it seemed Jackson was doing the same. 

Just before the meal drew to a close, King Nickhun stood, and silence fell on the room. “Majesties and Highnesses, Lords and Ladies, you all know why we are here. One of these four prince and princess will marry our son and become the new prince/princess of Caledonia. They have each passed five challenges and are worthy of the greatest honors that can be bestowed.” 

The waiting throng applauded, and Mark felt himself blush. The king continued. “This week we have set forth many challenges, and these prince and princess have nobly endeavored to pass them. In order to ensure that each once was thoroughly tested, the true nature of each test was kept a secret. Until now.” 

Mark turned and locked eyes with BamBam, who nodded and smiled, as if saying he was right. “In the first test we asked the princes and princesses to choose the real gold ring. All of the rings were gold. However, each person was then asked to listen to a petition—and to determine which petitioner was lying and which was telling the truth. Those who could tell the difference passed that test. Discernment was the key.” 

Mark gasped, so that had been the real test. He should’ve known and that means BamBam had been right. Not only were all the rings gold; it was not the real test. That was why each of them had chosen differently among the rings and yet been allowed to continue on. 

King Wooyoung then spoke, “The princes and princesses believed that suffering the pain of a single lost hair was the second test. In truth the second test was how they handled the loss of a single subject—in this case our the servant Jiho, with whom each of them had interacted only briefly. Those who showed concern were allowed to continue on to the next challenge. Compassion was the key.” 

Mark turned his eyes to Baekhyun, he had not observed Baekhyun face upon hearing the news of Jiho’s passing, but he was surprised that Baekhyun had been able to have a thought for anyone other than himself. “I am happy to announce that there was a bit of deception on our part in that round. Jiho is alive and well.” King Wooyoung stretched out his hand in the direction of the kitchen, and there stood Jiho and bowed. 

Mark smiled happy to know that the man was actually alive, “For the third test the prince and princesses were asked to walk barefoot across the grass, with the only possible results being injury or elimination. While some were injured, one extensively, another refused to bend to the task and another risked exposure as a cheater to pursue what he wanted most.” There were murmurs from the crowd, and Mark felt his cheeks burning. That whole time, and he hadn’t been fooling anyone. All that stress, and Jinyoung’s parents had known exactly what it was that he was doing with the berries. 

King Wooyoung continued. “We were not actually testing the sensitivity of their feet but the stoutness of their heart. For this test courage was the key. The courage to do what you must, the courage to take a stand, or the courage to risk everything you have for what you want most.” Mark smiled as he looked to Youngjae, who was smiling as well. “The fourth test came when most of prince and princesses became ill from the food they ate. While some thought we were testing to see if their stomachs were too sensitive for commoners food, this test was devised to measure something quite different. We wanted to see how they would respond in the face of adversity, whether they could continue on despite hardship. Perseverance was the key.” 

“I said so!” Mark blushed as he heard BamBam exclaim. 

“The fifth test, a test of burning the prince and princess’s delicate skin, was in fact a test to see who understood sacrifice. We asked these lords and ladies to sacrifice something of value, their beauty.” Mark shrugged while looking at his still bandaged hand. No one could say he hadn’t passed that test. “This leaves us with one final test, a test that we shall conduct here with all of you as witness.” Mark felt his heart sink as he waited to hear the challenge. “Each person will tell us why they would be the best person to marry our son.” 

King Wooyoung sat down amidst the sudden uproar. Mark stared dumbfounded at Jackson. Mark knew nothing of speaking in front of a large group of people, and he doubted she could convince anyone that he was the most worthy prince. “Prince Baekhyun will go first,” King Nickhun said. 

Baekhyun rose to his feet, and the crowd quieted, he was calm, and composed, as his eyes swept everyone in the room, and Mark couldn’t help but admire his confidence. “For decades there been bad blood between Caledonia and Ixania and these are old feuds whose time has passed. An alliance between Ixania and Caledonia will ensure peace between these two great kingdoms, and their combined strength will discourage aggression in others. I bring the heart and goodwill of my people. I also bring the wisdom and experience to rule at your son’s side.” 

Baekhyun took his seat amidst loud applause, particularly from the many people of Ixania who were present. Mark looked down at his injured hand, trying to decide what he would say. “Princess Jimin, would you please speak?” King Nickhun asked. 

Jimin stood and her dark red hair was piled high on her head, standing straighter than she managed to stand. Her hands were slightly shaking, and she kept her eyes fixed on the table. “I have passed every test. I am the most sensitive princess of the four of us. I also know how difficult it can be to lead a kingdom so I believe I am to best choice for your son. Please choose me.” Princess Jimin sat down to a scattering of applause. 

Mark’s heart began to race as he prayed se could do better. “Prince Mark, why are you the best choice to marry our son?” King Wooyoung asked him.

Mark rose to his feet, took a deep breath, and looked at the King in the eyes. “I believe that I am the best choice for the simple reason that I love your son more than anything. I have left my home to be here. I have sacrificed much, including my family and my dignity, attempting to pass these tests and I know that I have demonstrated the qualities that you are looking for in the challenges. I have no kingdom, no riches, no alliances to bring to this marriage. I can offer nothing but myself, but I believe that to be of great value. And I would cherish every day I had with Jinyoung and live it as though it were my last.” Mark sat back in his chair and heard a few people cheer and applauding for him though he suspected it was his friends. 

“And Prince Jackson, what do you have to say?” King Nickhun asked.

Jackson then rose to his feet, his light brown hair was slicked back, and while looking at him, Mark knew he would be a great king. “Of everyone here I have the most to offer and the most to gain from an alliance with Caledonia. I do not need to tell you the wisdom of that. However, I don’t believe that is the question. You haven’t asked me what’s best for Caledonia, but what is best for your son. I know in my heart that Mark is best for your son. He inspires friendship in those who would be rivals. He has compassion for others, the likes of which I have never seen. He understands hardship in a way none of the rest of us ever will, and yet he has the courage of a lion. He has pledged to me his aid, when I made no such pledge to him. Mark loves your son and he loves Caledonia and Cordinia.”

Jackson sat down and gave Mark a small smile while he could only stared at him in return. “You are a true king,” Mark said, reaching out to take Jackson’s hand. Finally understanding the qualities that made a king, he could think of no higher compliment. 

“As you will be shortly,” Jackson smiled, squeezing his hand. 

Mark glanced toward Jinyoung and saw his parents whisper briefly to each other. Then King Wooyoung stood up again, and the room fell silent. “All four prince and princess have exceptional qualities. This final test, one of self-confidence, has been most illuminating. The King and I will spend tonight thinking and discussing what has happened here. In the morning we will make it known who our son will marry—Mark or Baekhyun.” 

Pandemonium broke out as roars of excitement went up from the onlookers. There were a few disappointed exclamations that punctuated as well, but they were mostly drowned out by the clamoring of a hundred voices. 

Mark turned to Jackson. “What just happened?” 

Jackson smirked as he shook his head. “It’s just you and Baekhyun now. Tomorrow we all will know who will marry Prince Jinyoung and become the future King of Caledonia and Cordinia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you all know the truth. They weren't really looking for the most sensitive prince/princesses lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter ^^


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all might hate me this chapter (honestly idk)

Mark just couldn’t believe what he heard. Somehow he and Baekhyun were now the final candidates. Could it be that they were swayed by his confession or did Jackson’s speech convince them? Mark looked up at Jinyoung and tried to smile but couldn’t, just the thought of waiting another minute without knowing his fate was more than he could bear. 

“What do I do now?” he asked Jackson. 

“Unfortunately, you wait.” Jackson sighed. Youngjae and BamBam came up to hug him, but Mark felt as one in a dream. 

A steward approached him and Baekhyun, “Their Majesties have requested that you and Prince Baekhyun be moved to more comfortable rooms for the night while you await their decision.” 

“But I like my room,” Mark whined, panicking at the thought of being alone. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, and he was counting on BamBam to keep him from pacing all night long. 

“Nevertheless, a special room has been prepared.” His friends each gave him a quick hug, and then Mark found himself following the steward. He was surprised when he saw the two Kings standing near a corridor. 

“The King and I will lead you to your room tonight.” King Wooyoung said and Mark became confused to why. As they continued on Mark was surprised they didn’t lead him over to the staircase but instead past the throne room. As they passed an uncovered window Mark looked out in the night and was shaken with fear with how intimidating the clouds looked. Something bad was going to happen tomorrow. Unable to look anymore he caught up with the rest till they came upon another corridor of doors that he hadn’t seen before. 

The Kings came to a stop before a great wooden door that was elaborately carved with flowers. “Mark this one is your room and Baekhyun your room is across.” King Wooyoung said. King Wooyoung opened it while King Nickhun opened another door that had a similar decoration on the door. Mark looked inside and saw that the room was empty except for the strangest bed he ever saw. 

Going inside, Mark came to an abrupt stop as he stared at it. There had to be at least twenty mattresses stacked one on top of the other and a ladder was propped up against the foot of the bed to allow the sleeper to climb up. “I’m supposed to sleep up there?” Mark asked in disbelief. 

“Oh, yes, and you should be honored. Not just any guest is invited to sleep in this room. It’s a special room, and you will find that the bed is the softest you’ve ever experienced.” King Nickhun said 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Mark admitted. 

“You must at least try.” King Wooyoung said, “Your things will be brought to you later so you can refresh yourself.” 

Mark sighed as Baekhyun bowed to the Kings and entered in his room, closing it behind himself. Mark walked over to the window and felt the same chill from before. He had never felt this before from any of the storms previously. It was a horrible feeling. 

Just before the Kings left, Mark softly called to them, “Is something wrong?” King Nickhun asked

“Forgive me Your Majesties, I know this may seem odd but I have a bad feeling about tomorrow.” Mark warned

“Mark we have not come to a conclusion yet.” King Nickhun smirked

“No it’s not about the competition I have a feeling it’s something more. Something bad.” Mark said worriedly and the Kings could tell he was very concerned about it.

“Why do you feel this way?” King Wooyoung asked

Mark bit his lip, “The clouds are darker than usual and the atmosphere feels heavy. I-I don’t know how to explain it but whenever something happens a storm appears and the storm clouds is never that dark and I don’t think it’s a good omen.” he whispers.

The two Kings gave each other a shared concerned look, did they understand what he said? “Okay, we’ll take your words into consideration but try to sleep well tonight, okay?” King Nickhun said and he and King Wooyoung felt.

Mark nodded and walked back to the room. He felt stupid telling the Kings that but with the way the clouds looked it wouldn’t be right to keep it to himself. Mark stared at the bed and wished he could sneak back to his old room with BamBam and spend the night talking with him. But it probably wouldn’t be right to insult the generosity of Jinyoung parents, if they had specially selected this room for him. Resigned, Mark climbed the ladder carefully and finally settled onto the pile of mattresses. It was wonderfully soft, and Mark realized that he was incredibly tired; his eyes closed, and Mark fell into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later Jinyoung found himself glaring at both his parents, who were sitting serenely in front of the hearth in their chambers, sipping spiced cider as though they were discussing nothing more important than what to have for breakfast. “You must tell me which one you plan to choose as my partner,” Jinyoung insisted. 

“Why, so you can run away with Mark if we plan on choosing Baekhyun?” Nickhun asked. 

Jinyoung frowned at his father, damn him for reading his mind, “No so I can properly prepare myself for tomorrow, my wedding, and my future.” 

“It seems patience is the one virtues we didn’t teach him well,” Wooyoung smiled to Nickhun. 

Jinyoung felt like he was going to lose his mind. His life and happiness hung in the balance, and his parents wanted to lecture him on patience. “Just tell me who!” he pleaded through clenched teeth. 

“The truth is, we don’t know who it will be yet,” Wooyoung said with a sigh. 

“What do you mean, you don’t know? What else could you possibly need to learn about them to make a decision?” Jinyoung asked. Then, suddenly, it came to him. “There’s a final test, isn’t there?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Nickhun said, so quietly Jinyoung almost didn’t hear him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jinyoung wondered 

“Because we didn’t want either Baekhyun or Mark to know there was one additional test,” Nickhun said. Jinyoung stared at his father’s face, wondering if they knew or only suspected that he had been warning Mark about the challenges. 

However Wooyoung was the one to break the silence. “We know that you’ve been passing information on to Mark.” 

“How do you know?” Jinyoung asked surprised.

Wooyoung chuckled, “Because you are our son and we would have been disappointed if you had left everything to chance.” 

Jinyoung stared at them as they continued to sip their cider, and from the looks on their faces he knew he would get nothing more out of them. Jinyoung excused himself with a heavy heart knowing there was nothing he could do to help Mark through the last test. That left him only one choice. Outside, Jinyoung saddled up Peaches, and just as he jumped up on the horse, he saw Jaebum.

“Don’t you dare stop me!” Jinyoung shouted ready to fight his best friend.

“I never intended to.” Jaebum said shaking his head.

“Then what are you doing here?” Jinyoung asked confused 

“I’m coming with you obviously. Someone gotta make sure you don’t hurt yourself again.” Jaebum joked. Jinyoung knew there was no point in arguing and it wasn’t long before Jaebum’s horse was all saddled and the two raced towards Cordinia. However the two had no idea another rider was following them as well.

As they were trudging through the forest that separated the two countries, did Jaebum heard another horse stomping behind them. He turned his head and saw a covered person racing behind and suddenly pulled his horses reigns making Jinyoung turned to see another rider and he pulled Peaches reigns to stop to face them. “Who are you?!” Jaebum yelled

The capered person stopped as well and under the hood, Jinyoung and Jaebum thought they saw a smile, “Probably the only person that can help you.” A voice said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were coming. He could feel them, hear them. They were running through the castle, shouting and angry. There were torches that blazed so hot. He could hear screaming. His mother! There was the sound of a sword striking another sword and then a terrible silence. Hands were reaching for him, but him hit at them. He was afraid, and he didn’t want to leave. Where would he go? Who would take care of him and love him? So much darkness, so much shouting. He was very frightened, and so was the woman, not his mother, but always so nice. He could smell the fear coming off of her. 

They ran, faster and faster. But he knew they would never escape. They would always follow, and they would find him. He screamed, but no sound would come out. The darkness shifted into daylight, and suddenly he was playing in a field. His father was coming to him, and he was crying. His grandfather was dead. But he wasn’t really his grandfather—how come he knew that but no one else did? 

Just behind his father’s shoulder, ever leering, ever mocking, was the shadow. He tried to run, but the shadow reached out for him with spindly arms and grabbed hold of him. He tried to get away, but it was stronger than he was, and it caught his clothes and hair! 

Mark woke up screaming, he sat straight up, panting for breath. He was drenched in sweat, and the pile of mattresses shook slightly from side to side. He lay back down with his heart pounding in terror. You’re okay, Mark told himself repeatedly, until he started to believe it. Finally, exhaustion took hold, and he fell into a fitful sleep. However the nightmares started all over again.

When Mark finally woke in the morning, he was exhausted. Looking out the window the rain seemed to have just started to pour down, yet, Mark felt like this was only the beginning. BamBam soon arrived with his three maids, and together they made a production out of getting Mark dressed for the day. “You look perfect,” he said, stepping back to admire his handiwork. 

“I wish I felt perfect,” Mark joked. 

BamBam hugged him. “You’re going to be just fine. I know they’re going to choose you.” 

“A dog didn’t happen to tell you that, did she?” Mark groaned weakly. 

“No, but she might as well have. You’re the best choice for Jinyoung, for Caledonia and Cordinia, in every way.” BamBam smiled

Mark smiled back “Thanks. Now let’s just hope that the King’s agree.” 

The same steward from last night came in and announced, “It’s time,” before exiting as swiftly as he had entered. 

Mark sighed. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he admitted. 

“It’s going to work out; you’ll see. Just be yourself,” BamBam said. 

As Mark walked out of the room, he was surprised to find Youngjae and Jackson waiting for him in the hallway. “You didn’t think we’d miss your moment of triumph, did you?” Youngjae asked with a smile. They all held hands and walked to the throne room. Once inside, Mark advanced down the length of the room, as his three friends moved to take their places in the gathering crowd of onlookers. 

Mark stood before the King’s and he knew that BamBam and his maids had done their best, but the series of nightmares had taken its toll. Mark just hoped he looked better than he felt. 

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and he turned to see Baekhyun enter. The other boy had never looked more stunning. Mark held back a sigh of frustration. Baekhyun seemed to float along the floor rather than walk his skin was porcelain and radiant and even his hand that had suffered the sunburn seemed restored. Standing next to Mark, Baekhyun gave him a pitying smile. 

Mark turned and looked back at Jinyoung and his parents, who were seated on the three thrones and Jaebum who stood to the side of the platform next to Jinyoung. The young prince and knight both looked tired and haggard, as though they hadn’t slept at all. Jinyoung stared at Mark intently, as if trying to send him a message with his eyes, but Mark couldn’t read his expression. 

“Good morning,” King Wooyoung said, addressing them both. 

“Good morning,” Mark and Baekhyun both responded. 

“Mark, how did you sleep?” He asked

Mark smiled. “It was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. It would have been perfect except I was troubled by nightmares most of the night.” He admitted. He probably should’ve lied but felt like it was best to be truthful.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” King Wooyoung said and he actually looked concerned. He then turned to Baekhyun. “And what about you Baekhyun? How did you sleep?” 

“It was dreadful, Your Majesty. I tossed and turned but could find no rest, for something was poking into my back and caused me such pain that I am bruised all over. Fortunately, I found this under the bottom mattress,” Baekhyun said, holding up a hard, wrinkled black pea. “Once I removed it, I slept beautifully.” 

“No nightmares then?” King Nickhun asked.

“Not one.” Baekhyun smiled. Mark stared in horror at the pea in Baekhyun hand. A final test. And he had failed. Dammit. He hadn’t even thought to check under the mattresses. Mark should have known from the moment he saw the towering stack that there was something wrong. He hung his head. He had lost. Not only had he lost Jinyoung, but he had also put the son of Ixania onto the Caledonian throne and most likely the Cordinian throne as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter or not lol


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I've had alot of stuff going on. I hope you like this chapter

There was a long silence. There was a rustling of cloth, and Mark looked up as King Wooyoung descended from his throne and came to stand before Baekhyun. The king took the pea from Baekhyun hand and held it up for all to see. Then, very carefully, he stepped back up onto the raised platform, where he presented King Nickhun with the pea before reclaiming his seat on the throne. 

King Nickhun turned the pea over in his hand before closing his fist around it. “Mark.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Mark said shakily 

“Did you find a pea under your mattresses?” He asked

Mark shook his head in misery. “I felt nothing beneath the mattresses, so I did not think to look.”   
Mark glanced at Jinyoung and he could tell from his stricken expression that he’d had no advance knowledge of this test. 

King Wooyoung then addressed Baekhyun. “Your cold and suspicious heart has led you to look for something under the mattress and brought you to find this pea. And that is exactly what you shall take away from here. No one is capable of feeling a pea beneath twenty mattresses. Probably with magic you can sense it but not physically, at any rate.” 

Wooyoung then turned to Mark. “This pea, like the pea that was placed under the mattresses in the room you slept in last night, is enchanted. For those with true nobility of spirit, it gives them nightmares. Your character has been test and so have your spirit, and we find you worthy to marry our son.” He smiled

Mark was sure he had misheard and he turned to look at Jinyoung, and the joy on his face told him that he hadn’t. He then heard screams of joy from his friends, who were watching and before Mark could say anything in response, a man wearing a crown moved forward. “I am Changmin, King of Ixania, and you cannot choose this boy over my son. He’s not even a prince!” 

Mark felt white hot anger flash through him toward the King Changmin. He was responsible for the slaughter of the Cordinia royal family, his family. “Actually, he is a prince,” Jinyoung said, rising. “He is the true prince of Cordinia.” Prince Jinyoung signaled and the crowd parted to reveal a feminine face. 

“Jinyoung why did you call out our maid?” King Nickhun asked confused.

Jinyoung smiled as he explained, “Because her name is Suzy and she was Mark’s nursemaid.” 

Suzy bowed to the kings and spoke, “What your son says is the truth. Seventeen years ago I was Prince Mark’s nursemaid. I was the one rescued the young prince from the assassination and had him placed in another family for his protection. After I escaped from the assassins trail, I had myself placed within the Caledonia castle posing as a maid so I could always protect him. I can proudly state that Mark is the true heir to Cordinia.” She said as turned to smiled at Mark.

Stunned, Mark watched as Jinyoung parents stood from their thrones and then bowed to him. Jinyoung smiled as he did so a moment later along with Jaebum. Mark’s heart began to pound as all around him people knelt down. Mark saw BamBam, Jackson, and Youngjae, who all flashed him huge smiles before kneeling too. Mark turned slowly in a circle, looking at all who knelt before him. All except one. He stared for a moment at King Changmin and knew something was wrong. 

“Time to finish what was I started,” the king of Ixania roared, drawing his sword. He leaped at him and grabbing Mark by the throat. Mark struggled, twisting in his strong arms and scratching at the king’s eyes. A dozen Ixanians 'nobles' shed their cloaks to reveal the clothes of soldiers. 

They circled Mark and the Ixanian King, with their swords brandished. Too late, he recognized all of Celeste’s guests for what they really were. With a loud shout by King Wooyoung, multiple Caledonian soldiers appeared out of nowhere and began fighting the Ixanians. However there was still many Ixanians guarding King Changmin.

Still trying to get out of the King’s grasp, Mark bit King Changmin hand and he roared in pain and struck him across the temple with the hilt of his sword. Everything went black. Jinyoung tried to reach Mark, but too many soldiers blocked his way. He shouted in rage as he saw King Changmin strike Mark. His body went limp, and King Changmin tossed him over his shoulder as the Ixanians made a path for him to disappear with Baekhyun at his side. 

It wasn’t long before more soldiers poured into the great hall and Jinyoung grabbed a sword and began to fight his way through the Ixanians soldiers, heading for the spot where he had last seen King Changmin. Nobles from several countries scurried to get away from the fighting, while others drew weapons and joined, trying to fight off the Ixanian soldiers. 

Jinyoung kept twisting and turning, trying to make his way after King Changmin and Mark. He passed Youngjae and Jackson, who was brandishing a weapon of their own and trying to get BamBam and several others clear of the fighting. Jaebum suddenly appeared helping Youngjae before turning to aid Jinyoung in clearing his way. After thanking his friend, Jinyoung finally reached the exit to the hall and saw King Changmin disappear into the gardens with Mark still over his shoulder. 

Mark woke as he hit the ground. It was raining. Another storm had come, and the king of Ixanian was trying to finish what he had started during a storm so many years before. Mark drew in a ragged breath and couldn’t believe he was about to die. He opened his eyes and looked up at King Changmin and Baekhyun. 

His head was throbbing, and a thin trickle of blood was dripping into his eye. Mark blinked fiercely and saw both father and son, arguing about where to go next, didn’t notice that Mark was stirring. Mark glanced around him and saw that he was in the castle garden, not that far from the fountain. He sat up slowly, but neither King Changmin nor Baekhyun paid him any attention. 

Coiling his muscles, Mark sprang to his feet and began to run. There were shouts behind him, which spurred him on faster. In front of Mark he saw the outer wall of the hedge maze; he ran along the side of it until he found an opening and then dashed inside. Two quick left turns, followed by a right, and then Mark slowed so that he could get his bearings—and listen for the king and prince. 

Mark heard King Changmin and Baekhyun enter the maze, quarreling, and he tried to determine which path they took by listening for their footsteps. His temple hurt, and he was feeling light-headed, but Mark walked deeper into the maze, and the blackness of the sky caused it to grow as dark as night. The rain further obscured his vision. Mark pictured the part of the maze he had already traveled. Beneath his feet a twig snapped, and Mark halted for a moment. 

“That was him!” King Changmin shouted from somewhere in the leafy maze. 

“Yes, but where?” Baekhyun asked, frustration in his voice. “How the hell should I know? You’re the one who has been staying here at the castle. How come you’ve never explored the maze?!” 

“I didn’t think it was going to be necessary,” Baekhyun argued. Mark began to move again but stepped more gingerly. He couldn’t help but shake his head. Back when he was a farmer’s son, he had thought about entering the maze contest for the Festival. But now he was a prince and instead of racing through the maze in an attempt to win a prize, he was slinking through the maze in an attempt to save his life. 

Sounds of fighting began to reach his ears, and he realized there must have been more Ixanians soldiers present than anyone could have guessed. Again Caledonia was at war with Ixania. However this time it would be different. He was not some child running away, he was going to stand and fight for his life.

The storm intensified to the point of where Mark couldn’t see at all. Mark paused and placed a hand on each hedge wall and then kicked off his shoes so that he could better feel the ground. Mud oozed between his toes and he continued moving even though he could no longer see anything. 

When he came to a break in the wall, he took the path. Mark could hear King Changmin as he moved through the maze, but he could no longer hear Baekhyun. Mark sensed something move in the path ahead of him and he froze and strained his ears and eyes. Mark realized, almost too late, that King Changmin and Baekhyun had split up. 

Mark held his breath and moved forward on silent feet. When he was close enough to touch Baekhyun, he tapped him on the shoulder. The other prince twisted with an exclamation, and Mark hit him as hard as he could. Baekhyun crumpled silently to the ground, and Mark stepped over him and kept moving. He would send someone to fetch him when the situation was under control. 

Mark could hear the fighting just outside the maze walls and prayed that Jinyoung was safe. Suddenly he heard Gustav shout and it sounded like he might have tripped over Baekhyun. This gave Mark an idea. He felt for and found a slight hollow at the bottom of one of the hedge walls. He lay down and pushed his body flush with the wall. And then he waited. Mark stayed still for what felt like an eternity. 

Soon he heard King Changmin footsteps before he could see him. Mark held his breath as he approached and then walked by him. It was then that Mark reached out and grabbed King Changmin’s ankle, yanking it backward as hard as he could, with a twist. There was a snap as he fell with a scream. Mark leaped to his feet and snatched King Changmin’s sword from his hand. He swung it with the thought of killing him. At the last moment he twisted his wrist and knocked him unconscious, as the king had done to him. Mark turned and ran back to the entrance of the maze, retracing his steps.

Jinyoung met him there, sword drawn and breathing ragged. “Are you okay?” they asked each other simultaneously. 

“Yes,” Mark said, kissing him. When they broke apart, Mark told Jinyoung where he had left King Changmin and Baekhyun in the maze and that they needed attention. 

“The fighting’s almost over. Most of the Ixanian soldiers have been captured,” Jinyoung said, sheathing his own sword and taking the one he still held. Several Caledonian soldiers ran to assist Mark and Jinyoung, and Jinyoung directed them into the maze to fetch the Ixanian king and prince. Then Jinyoung and Mark made their way back to the castle. 

In the great hall Mark was reunited with Jackson, BamBam, and Youngjae, none the worse for wear. Everyone slowly regrouped in the throne room as servants and soldiers worked to clear the wounded. Baekhyun and his father were being treated elsewhere for their injuries, Mark learned, though their future was still uncertain. It seemed that several of the other nobles had opposed King Changmin’s plan, wanting to continue the peace with Caledonia. 

Once again seated on his throne, King Wooyoung and King Nickhun, like their son, was slightly disheveled from the fighting. Mark then noticed that Suzy and Jaebum was with them. “Now, where were we?” King Nickhun inquired. 

Suzy smiled as she cleared her throat. “I saw stating that Mark was the true prince of Cordinia.”

“Why all the secrecy? Why not tell us the child was alive?” King Wooyoung wondered,

“Forgive me your Majesties. But similar as to I was able to sneak within your kingdom, I was unsure if the King of Ixania had done the same so I kept it a secret all this time until I thought it was safe. When I heard someone speak about the prince of Cordinia being within the castle I had grown suspicious wondering if someone had taken his identity. It wasn’t until last night when I overheard Prince Mark speak to you that I knew it was actually him and followed Prince Jinyoung to tell him my part in your disappearance.” Suzy explained

“I am eternally gratefully for you Suzy.” Mark said with a wide smiled

“It was my pleasure, Prince Mark.” Suzy bowed.

“Yes and now that all of this is finally over. We can celebrate.” King Wooyoung smiled

“Celebrate?” Mark asked looking confused. 

“Our wedding,” Jinyoung said, moving next to Mark and taking his hand in his own. The look that he sent sent shivers through him, and he began to smile, imagining his life with the man he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow can't believe there's only one chapter left. Its been fun but sadly we're almost done. (rhyme unintended) lol. Thanks you guys ^^


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays everyone ^^

After dinner Mark and Jinyoung found a stolen moment alone. Jinyoung led him to another part of the garden that was surrounded by red and white roses, “I can’t believe we’re getting married soon.” Mark smiled as he wrapped his arms around Jinyoung.

“I can.” Jinyoung said looked at him, “This whole time I prayed to the gods that it would you that my parents would say I would marry. But I think we were destined for each other.”

Mark tilted his head, “How so?”

“My father revealed to me that we were born months apart and being that our families were friends with each other, they said it they were discussing marriage between us.” 

Mark gasped, “So even as babies-”

“We were fated to marry.” Jinyoung grinned

“I love you, Jinyoung.” Mark smiled

“And I love you Mark.” The two leaned into each others space and kissed with a passion and intensity they have never felt before, both feeling like they were floating on clouds and imagining a future together with little looking like the other. It was their perfect moment.

~~~~~~~~~

The kingdoms of Cordinia and Caledonia was poised to celebrate the Festival like never before. The return of the prince of Cordinia and the new victory over Ixania had spurred the people on to increased zeal, and the festivities of the first two days of the Festival had been larger and noisier than anyone could ever remember. 

Mark had even managed to get his new friends into the kitchen to try their hands at pie baking for the contest. The cooks had looked on in dismay as BamBam, Jackson, and Youngjae got more flour on themselves than in the pies. When the final day of the Festival arrived, Mark was breathless with excitement and anticipation.

“How do I look?” Mark asked, smoothing down his pants. His suit was streaming in the national colors of Caledonia and Cordinia. He had asked to be allowed to spend the last few days in his room with BamBam prior to the wedding, and his friend had already picked up half a dozen things that Mark’s nervous pacing had caused him to knock over that morning. 

“Beautiful,” BamBam said. 

“Like a prince,” Youngjae confirmed. 

“Like the most beautiful groom the two kingdoms has ever seen,” Jackson smiled. Mark hugged his friends. In an hour he and Jinyoung would be married. It still took his breath away to think about it. There was a knock on the door, and Jackson went to get it. “You have visitors, Mark.” 

Mark turned to see his future-in-laws elegantly dressed walk into the room. He was so thankful to them as afterwards they had sent his parents and brother. He was a little worried that their parents might not see eye to eye but to his surprise not only had they bonded quickly they also enjoyed planning every moment of the wedding together. 

However the moment he truly he had been waiting for is BamBam and Yugyeom reuniting. Just as they expected Yugyeom was surprised to see that BamBam was actual a prince and a little intimidated by that fact. But after the two privately talked the two came out hand and hand. The only thing they feared was how BamBam’s parents would take to the fact that their son would want to be with a farm boy but Mark, Jackson and Youngjae and promised they would do whatever it takes to make sure the two would stay together.

Mark’s parents had been invited to stay in the castle of Caledonia and he even wanted them to live in the castle of Cordinia where he and Jinyoung would rule together. However they weren’t entirely sure they were ready to give up farming. Not wanting to give up Mark had persuaded them to stay for a couple of weeks after he married Jinyoung. It would give his parents time to relax in probably the first time in many years while a close friend would run the farm in their absence. 

Mark embraced them all and then offered them seats. “Mark, have you seen the portrait of your father?” King Wooyoung asked. Mark nodded. The portraits of the Cordinia royal family had been hanging in a hallway Mark had yet to enter through and Mark had been delighted to see that there was a family resemblance. 

“The same bright smile and eyes. That night you arrived here, I felt you had to be related,” King Nickhun said, with a smile. 

“I’m still surprised you let me in the door, as wretched as I looked that day,” Mark said cringing at the memory. 

“Yes but if I remember correctly, you looked gorgeous by dinner. I knew that suit would look perfect on you.” King Wooyoung grinned

Mark gasped, “So, it was you who sent the clothes?”

“Yes I was hoping that you truly were the son of the Tuans. However that night you told us about the storm clouds, we knew you were truly their son.” King Wooyoung smiled

Mark tilted his head, “What do you mean?”

“Your mother and father also had the gift of sight. Your mother was able to tell the future through visions while your father was able to know the future through the weather.” King Nickhun explained

The whole room erupted in that moment, “So what happened that night?” Youngjae said accidentally as he meant to only think it.

“Well it was pattern throughout your mother’s pregnancy that she was unable to clearly see the future and your father sadly had been stressed from the war and falling ill. Mostly likely his gift had been affected by that as well.” King Nickhun sighed sadly

“The King of Ixania must’ve known then which is why he had able to sneak into their kingdom without anyone knowing.” Jackson mumbled

“We assumed the same thing.” King Wooyoung said

“So I inherited my father’s gift?” Mark wondered

“Your sisters didn’t receive their gift of visions until they were in their twenties. It’s possible you could have both of your parents gift but you haven’t been able to exercise it to that extent.” King Wooyoung suggested.

Mark gasped, “I never thought I had a gift like that. I just assumed it was some weird magic that caused the storms to form whenever something happened. Although I should’ve noticed it only happened when it’s about me.” Mark shaked his head at his lack of observation.

The Kings laughed, “Not your fault, you were never told about your gift.” King Nickhun replied

“And if you had never had met Jinyoung you wouldn’t have known.” BamBam said.

Mark nodded, he was right. His entire life had been changed the night Jaebum knocked on his door and brought in Jinyoung, “I have so much to thank you and your son both for.” 

The Kings waved his comment, “If anything we have to thank you. If you hadn’t came here our son would be miserable to know he would be marrying Baekhyun.” King Nickhun smirked.

Mark gigged, that part was true. “Anyways we came here because I did bring you something for good luck today. You can put it in your shoe or your suit,” King Wooyoung said. 

“What is it?” Mark wondered

“Hold out your hand.” King Wooyoung said and Mark did as instructed, and into it the king dropped a single black pea. Mark stared at its round black shape before looking up at the other man. “It’s from underneath your mattresses. That pea helped bring you to this day. And now I think you’ve had quite enough of nightmares, so never fall asleep near it again.” 

Mark started laughing. Out in the hall he heard a familiar voice and smiled. “What’s so funny in there?” he heard Yugyeom ask. 

“Nothing!” Mark called back. 

“May we come in?” Jinyoung asked, trying to sound innocent. 

“No don’t you know it’s bad luck for the grooms to see each other,” Mark grinned, walking close to the door. He touched it and he could swear he could feel his presence on the other side. 

“This door can’t keep us apart forever,” Jinyoung joked. 

Mark smiled and looked at the pea. “Nothing can keep us apart ever again.” 

“You know, in less than an hour everything changes,” Jinyoung said. 

“I know,” Mark whispered back, glancing out the window at the gathering storm clouds and smiled, “and it’s only the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, sweet ending for this story. It was a lot of fun doing this story and I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it. I honestly have no idea when I'll be back to post new stories because I recently got accepted for a new job so Idk if I'll have as much as I used to. But thank you everyone who read, commented and clicked kudos on this story. Happy Holidays everyone and Happy New Year !!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Like I said before majority of what I wrote does come from the book but at the same time there are many things that I have taken out, changed, added and even rearranged to fit this to Markjin and Got7 (just to make sure you all understand this). I hoped you like the first chapter of this story. Please comment and/or hit that kudos button.


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